TED HONDERICH
CURRICULUM VITAE
Grote
Professor Emeritus of the Philosophy of Mind and Logic, University College
London
Visiting
Professor, University of Bath
Chairman Emeritus,
Royal Institute of Philosophy
Principal
interests: being conscious, mind and brain etc, determinism and its consequences for us, the mistake of
taking determinism to be just compatible or just incompatible with freedom,
causation and other connections of law, right and wrong, humanity and equality, terrorism, democracy, the tradition of
conservatism, state punishment, philosophy as ordinary logic
INDEX
Informal
Summary
Details
Principal
Books
Edited Books
Selected
Papers
Editing of
Series of Books
College &
University Administration etc
Some Reviews,
Lectures, Journalism, Broadcasts etc
Memberships
Literary
Agent
INFORMAL SUMMARY
1933 Born Baden, Ontario, Canada, of John
William Honderich and Rae Laura Armstrong. Undergraduate at the University of
Toronto. In 1959 preferred graduate work with the Logical Positivist A. J. Ayer
at University College London to graduate work at Harvard. Remained at UCL when
Ayer left the Grote Chair to return to Oxford. Supervised by Stuart Hampshire,
Bernard Williams, Richard Wollheim. Went native
in England, became British citizen. Also democratic socialist, proud of
small civil disobedience of having sat down in Parliament Square with Bertrand
Russell, resolute Leftwing books.
1962
First lectureship in philosophy at University of Sussex, two years. On returning to University College London,
was successively Lecturer, Reader, Professor, and then Grote Professor.
Visiting professor at Yale University, Graduate Centre of the City University
of New York, Brooklyn College, University of Lethbridge.
1960/70's Journal articles on the nature of truth,
Russell's theory of descriptions. Commissioned book Punishment: The Supposed Justifications (1969). Articles on
causation, determinism, the nature of time, justice, and John Stuart Mill's On Liberty. Because of punishment book, invited pieces on political
violence. Became Three Essays on Political
Violence (1977), later revised and republished as Violence for Equality: Inquiries in Political Philosophy.
1980's Philosophy of Mind articles on psychoneural
or mind-brain lawlike connection, against Donald Davidson's Anomalous Monism.
Main book A Theory of Determinism: The Mind, Neuroscience, and
Life-Hopes , 644 pp (1988). Not widely read, republished as paperbacks Mind and Brain and The Consequences of
Determinism. 1981 article proposing fundamental principle of justice or
equality, later rechristened Principle of Humanity.
1990's Articles included advocacy of the Union
Theory of mind and brain in place of the Identity Theory, and pieces on
consciousness, its subjectivity, perception, neural functionalism, hierarchic
democracy, and moral consequentialism. Books Conservatism (1990), in hope of helping to defeat that political
tradition in the coming election, and How
Free are You? (1993), subsequently translated seven times. Book edited was The Oxford Companion to Philosophy.
Also
1990's Articles proceeding from
conviction, widely enough shared, that current Philosophy of Mind, whatever is
to be said of various sciences of the mind, has run into a dead end. Existing
theories of the nature consciousness either devout physicalism or spiritualism
-- mysterious dualism. Something different needed.
2001 A book Philosopher:
A Kind of Life, a philosophical autobiography and a kind of picture of a
profession and academic life. Attempt at personal truth. Successful.
2002
After the Terror prompted by
September 11, but about more, including morality, acts and omissions. In
passing, a moral defence of the
Palestinians against neo-Zionism, i.e. enlargement of Israel after 1967. Book
charged with anti-semitism in Germany as a result, 'banned' by original
publisher, republished by another Jewish publisher, large controversy.
Since
2003 Collection of papers On Consciousness,
public controversy with Colin McGinn about his critical review, maybe
unprecedented in recent philosophical decades. Collection of papers On Political Means and Social Ends (not
= the earlier Social Ends and Political
Means). Considerable revision of Violence
for Equality: Inquiries in Political Philosophy, under new title Terrorism for Humanity: Inquiries in
Political Philosophy.
Also since
2003 Collection of papers On Determinism and Freedom, and greatly
revised edition of Conservatism under
title Conservatism: Burke, Nozick, Bush,
Blair? New and revised edition of
the punishment book of 1969. A second edition of The Oxford Companion to Philosophy.
2006 Humanity,
Terrorism, Terrorist War: Palestine, 9/11, Iraq, 7/7... Published in
America as Right and Wrong, and Palestine,
9/11, Iraq, 7/7....
2006 Work towards new theory of nature of consciousness -- Radical Externalism or Consciousness as Existence -- the subject of 11 articles by other philosophers in special edition of the Journal of Consciousness Studies. Also published as book, Radical Externalism: Honderich's Theory of Consciousness Discussed. Fundamental proposition: what it is for you to be perceptually conscious is for a state of affairs to exist in a way outside your head. Not literary or metaphorical utterance or the like, but proposal for literal conceptual revision.
2014 Publication of Actual Consciousness, completion of new theory of consciousness. Basis of occasional hope for posthumous existence. Further strengthening of Lef t morals and politics. Contemplating book of.
1965-1990 Time also spent editing three series of
philosophy books: The International
Library of Philosophy and Scientific Method, and The Arguments of the Philosophers, and The Problems of Philosophy:Their Past and Present, for Routledge.
Also various titles for Penguin.
Lived
in
Hampstead in London for decades, changed less than it, found better
place for
philosophy in Somerset, then in 2007 Highgate Wood, aka Muswell Hill
Road, London. Happy husband of Ingrid Coggin Purkiss as she was,
exemplary critic and gardener, lately The Secretary of The Royal
Institute of
Philosophy. Fourth marriage. Father of Kiaran Honderich and John Ruan
Honderich, by second of four marriages. Many liaisons, no deception.
Recreations:
wine, old vicarage, Land Rover in Somerset, north London again, being
read all of Trollope novels, decent and inexpensive restaurants, lunch at Garrick Club on Friday.
DETAILS
Edgar Dawn
Ross Honderich
30 January
1933
Nationality:
British
t.honderich@ucl.ac.uk
website:
http://www.homepages.ucl.ac.uk/~uctytho
Education at
home and at schools in Baden, Kitchener, and Toronto. University of Toronto,
entrance scholarship, awards and prizes. B.A. Hons. Philosophy and English
Literature, 1959. Postgraduate awards by British Council, Canada Council,
Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Programme. Ph.D in Philosophy,
University College London, 1968.
Lecturer in
Philosophy, University of Sussex, 1962-64
Lecturer,
University College London, 1964-72
Reader,
1972-83
Professor,
1983-88
Visiting
Professor, Yale, 1970
Visiting Professor,
Graduate Centre, City University of New York, 1971
Grote
Professor of the Philosophy of Mind and Logic, University College London
1988-98
Vice
Chairman, The Royal Institute of Philosophy, 1995-2005
Chairman, The
Royal Institute of Philosophy, 2005-
Visiting
Professor, University of Bath, 2003-
PRINCIPAL BOOKS
15 Radical
Externalism: Honderich's Theory of Consciousness Discussed, Imprint
Academic, 2006, ed. Anthony Freeman. Half of book by T.H. -- opening paper and
11 other papers in reply to 11 papers by philosophers Harold Brown, Tim Crane,
James Garvey, Stephen Law, E. J. Lowe, Derek Matravers, Paul Noordhof, Ingmar
Persson, Stephen Priest, Barry C. Smith, Paul Snowdon.
14 Humanity,
Terrorism, Terrorist War: Palestine, 9/11, Iraq, 7,7..., Continuum, UK
edition, 2006; Right and Wrong and
Palestine, 9/11, Iraq, 7/7... Seven Stories Press, US edition.
13 Punishment,
the Supposed Justifications Revisited, Pluto Press, 2006. Greatly revised
edition of Punishment, The Supposed
Justifications.
12 Conservatism:
Burke, Nozick, Bush, Blair? Pluto Press, 2005, greatly revised and enlarged
edition of Conservatism.
11 On
Determinism and Freedom, collected papers, Edinburgh University Press, 2005
10 On
Consciousness, collected papers, Edinburgh University Press, 2004
9 Terrorism
for Humanity: Inquiries in Political Philosophy, Pluto Press, 2004, revised
and retitled edition. German translation.
8 On
Political Means and Social Ends, collected papers, Edinburgh University
Press, 2003
7 After
the Terror, Edinburgh University Press, 2002. German translations Suhrkamp
Verlag and then Melzer Verlag, 2002. Expanded edition 2003. Greek, Japanese
translations.
6 Philosopher:
A Kind of Life, Routledge, 2001
5 How
Free Are You? The Determinism Problem, Oxford University Press, 1993.
German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Swedish, Polish, Romanian translations,
Enlarged edition 2002.
4 Conservatism,
Hamish Hamilton, Westfield, Penguin, 1990, 1991. Spanish, German translations.
3 A
Theory of Determinism: The Mind, Neuroscience and Life-Hopes, Oxford
University Press, 1998, 644 pp. 1st half republished as Mind and Brain, 2nd as The
Consequences of Determinism 1990.
2 Three
Essays on Political Violence, Blackwells, Political Violence, Cornell University Press, 1976. In 1980, 1989,
somewhat enlarged edition entitled Violence
for Equality: Inquiries in Political Philosophy, Penguin, Routledge.
1 Punishment:
The Supposed Justifications, Hutchinson, Harcourt Brace, Penguin, Polity,
Pluto Press, 1969, 1971, 1984, 1989
EDITED BOOKS
8 Oxford
Companion to Philosophy, ed., Oxford University Press, new edition, Feb
2005
7 A. J.
Ayer: Writings on Philosophy, ed., 6 volumes, Palgrave Macmillan Archive
Press, 2004
6 The
Oxford Companion to Philosophy, ed., Oxford University Press, 1995. Arabic,
Polish, Spanish translations. Excerpts in The
Philosophers: Introducing Great Western Thinkers, Oxford University Press,
1999
5 Morality
and Objectivity: A Tribute to J. L. Mackie, ed., Routledge and Kegan Paul,
1985
4 Philosophy
Through Its Past, anthology, ed., Penguin, 1984
3 Philosophy
As It Is, anthology, co-ed. with Myles Burnyeat, Allen Lane, Penguin, 1979
2 Social
Ends and Political Means, ed., Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1976
1 Essays
on Freedom of Action, ed., Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1973
SELECTED PAPERS
2004 'Introduction to the Collection', A. J. Ayer: Writings on Philosophy, 6
volumes, Palgrave Macmillan Archive Press
2004 'Consciousness as Existence, Devout
Physicalism, Spiritualism', Mind and
Matter
2004 'After Compatibilism and Incompatibilism', Freedom and Determinism, ed.
Joseph Keim
Campbell, Michael O'Rourke, David Shier, MIT Press
2004 'Palestinian Terrorism, Morality and
Germany', Rechtsphilosophisches
Hefte, x
2003 'After
the Terror: A Book and Further Thoughts', Journal of Ethics
2003 'Perceptual, Reflective and Affective
Consciousness as Existence', Minds
and Persons, Royal Institute of
Philosophy Lectures, ed. Anthony O'Hear
2003 '20 Million Years of Living Time', The Monist
2002 'Determinism as True, Compatibilism and
Incompatibilism as False, and the
Real
Problem', The Oxford Handbook of Free
Will, ed. Robert Kane
2001 'Consciousness As Existence, and the End of
Intentionality', Philosophy at
the New Millenium, Royal Institute of
Philosophy Lectures, ed. Anthony O'Hear
2001 'Mind the Guff: A Response to John Searle', Journal of Consciousness
Studies
2000 'Consciousness as Existence Again', Proceedings of the Twentieth World
Congress of Philosophy, also Theoria
2000 'Consciousness and Inner Tubes: On David
Papineau's Introducing
Consciousness', Journal of Consciousness Studies
1998 'Compatibilism, Incompatibilism, and the
Smart Aleck', Philosophy and
Phenomenological Review
1998 'Consciousness as Existence', Current Issues in the Philosophy of Mind,
Royal
Institute of Philosophy Lectures, ed. Anthony O'Hear
1996 'Consequentialism, Moralities of Concern, and
Selfishness', Philosophy
1995 'Consciousness, Neural Functionalism, Real
Subjectivity', American
Philosophical Quarterly
1994 'Hierarchic Democracy and the Necessity of
Mass Civil Disobedience',
Conway
Memorial Lecture, South Place Ethical Society
1994 'Functionalism, Identity Theories, The Union
Theory', The Mind-Body
Problem: The Current State of the Debate,
ed. T. Szubka & R. Warner,
Blackwells
1994 'Seeing Things', Synthese
1993 'The Union Theory and Anti-Individualism', Mental Causation, ed. J. Heil
and A. Mele,
Oxford University Press
1992 'Causation: One Thing Just Happens After
Another', The Philosophy of A. J.
Ayer, The Library of Living
Philosophers, ed. L. E. Hahn, Open Court
1992 'Seeing Qualia and Positing the World', A. J. Ayer Memorial Essays, 1989-90
Royal Institute of Philosophy Lecture Series, Cambridge University Press, ed.
A. Phillips-Griffiths
1992 'Conservatism Not Much Reconsidered', Utilitas
1992 'Conservatism, Ideology, Rationale and a Red
Light', Radical Philosophy
1991 'Afterward to the Paperback Edition', Conservatism, Penguin
1991 'Better the Union Theory', Analysis
1990 'Introduction', A. J. Ayer, The Meaning of Life and Other Essays,
Weidenfeld
1987 'Mind, Brain and Self-Conscious Mind', Mindwaves, ed. C. Blakemore
1987 'Causation:
Rejoinder to Sanford'. Philosophy
1986 'Mind, Brain and Time: Rejoinder to Libet', Journal of Theoretical
Biology
1985 'Punishment, the New Retributivism, and
Political Philosophy', Royal
Institute of Philosophy Proceedings
1984 'The Time of a Conscious Sensory Experience
and Mind-Brain Theories',
Journal of
Theoretical Biology
1984 'The Principle of Equality: Reply to Nathan',
Mind
1984 'Smith and the Champion of Mauve', Analysis
1984 'Actions and Psychophysical Intimacy', Inquiry
1983 'The Principle of Equality Defended', Politics
1983 'Anomalous Monism: Reply to Smith', Analysis
1983 'Against Teleological Historical
Materialism', Inquiry
1982 'On Liberty and Morality-Dependent Harms', Political Studies
1982 'Determinism and Politics', Midwest Studies in Philosophy
1982 'Causes and "If p, even if x, still
q"', Philosophy
1982 'The Argument for Anomalous Monism', Analysis
1981 'Nomological Dualism: Reply to Four Critics', Inquiry
1981 'Psychophysical Lawlike Connections and Their
Problem', Inquiry,
with commenting
articles by J. L. Mackie, S. Stich, T. L. S. Sprigge, E.
Wilson
1981 'The Problem of Well-being and the Principle
of Equality', Mind
1980 Critical discussion of Anthony Kenny, Will, Freedom and Power and Freewill
and Responsibility, in Mind
1979 'Four Conclusions about Violence of the
Left', Canadian Journal of
Philosophy, 1979, also in Assent and Dissent, ed. J. P. White,
Kendall
Hunt
1977 'Temporal Relations and Temporal Qualities', Time and Philosophy (French
translation Le Temps et Les Philosophies), ed. Paul
Ricoeur, UNESCO
1977 'Causes and Causal Circumstances as
Necessitating'. Proceedings of the
Aristotelian Society
1975 'On Inequality and Violence, and Differences
We Make Between Them', Royal
Institute of Philosophy Lectures
1975 'The Use of the Basic Proposition of a Theory
of Justice', Mind
1974 'The Worth of J. S. Mill's On Liberty', Political Studies
1973 'A Difficulty with Democracy', Philosophy and Public Affairs
1973 'One Determinism', Essays on Freedom of Action, ed. Honderich
1973 'Democratic Violence', Philosophy and Public Affairs
1975 'Appraisals of Political Violence', Issues in Law and Morality, Proceedings
Oberlin Colloquium, ed. Norman Care and Thomas Trelogan, Case Western Reserve
University Press
1970 'A Conspectus of Determinism'. Supplementary Proceedings of the
Aristotelian Society
1969 'On Russell's Theory of Descriptions', Proceedings of the Aristotelian
Society
1968 'Truth', Studies
in Logical Theory, American
Philosophical Quarterly
Monograph, ed. Nicholas Rescher
1968 'Mill on Liberty', Inquiry
1962 Bertrand Russell, Logic and Knowledge, review, Philosophy
EDITING OF SERIES OF BOOKS
1965-80 The
International Library of Philosophy and Scientific Method, Routledge. c. 15
vols
1980-95 The
Arguments of the Philosophers, Routledge, c. 15 vols.
1990-95 The
Problems of Philosophy: Their Past and Present, c. 10 vols. Routledge.
1965-80
Penguin Philosophy books, c. 12 vols.
COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION ETC.
2005-
Chairman, The Royal Institute of Philosophy, 2005-
1995-2005
Vice-Chairman, The Royal Institute of Philosophy
1989 Literary
Executor, A. J. Ayer
1987-92 Head,
Department of Philosophy, University College London
1986-9
Chairman, University of London Board of Philosophical Studies
1987-90
Chairman, University Boards of Examiners in Philosophy
1965-74
Departmental Tutor, Philosophy Department, UCL
various years
Professorial Board, Academic Board, Library Committee, Committee on
College Governance, Pensions and
Superannuation Committee, Appointment Committees
various years
External Examiner, University of Ghana
SOME REVIEWS, LECTURES, JOURNALISM,
BROADCASTS etc.
1969-2006 lectures, talks to university philosophy
departments, academic conferences, e.g. annual Towards A Science of Consciousness conference, in U.K., U.S.,
Canada, Ireland, continental European countries, Russia, China, Japan, Korea,
Iran, Hawaii
2006 'The Real Friends of Terror', documentary
television programme, Channel Five, Don't
Get Me Started series, Liberty Bell Productions
2006 Discussion of Punishment: The Supposed Justifications Revisited, BBC Thinking
Allowed programme, with Laurie Taylor
2005 'Humanity and Terrorism', House of Lords
committee room debate with Lord Layard, Lord Parekh, Baroness O'Neill
2005 'On Being Persona Non Grata to Palestinians Too', CounterPunch
2004 'The Justification of Punishment', American
public radio, Chicago
2004 'Mr Blair as Moralist', The Independent
2004 'Ted Honderich and the Newspaper LondonStudent, and a Postscript',
http://www.homepages.ucl.ac.uk/~uctytho/LondonStudent.html
2004 'The Way Things Are and the Need for a New
Disrespect', lecture to Edinburgh Festival, Gothenberg Book Fair, Bath Festival
2003-4 entries on determinism & freedom for Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Oxford Companion to the Mind, Dictionary of the History of Ideas
2003 'The Fall and Rise of a Book in Germany: A
Brief Account and Guide to Further Reading',
http://www.homepages.ucl.ac.uk/~uctytho
2003 'Are Suicide Bombings Morally Defensible? A
Reply to Richard Wolin', Chronicle of
Higher Education, 24 October,
http://www.homepages.ucl.ac.uk/~uctytho/Wolinmyreply.html
2003 'I Have Not Changed My Mind: After the Terror, Germany, Palestine', Junge Welt, 14 November
http://www.homepages.ucl.ac.uk/~uctytho/terrnochangeEngl.html
2003 German television & radio on After the Terror
2003 'Banning a Book', Frankfurter Rundschau, 6 August
http://www.homepages.ucl.ac.uk/~uctytho/BrumlikReplybyTHEnglish.html
2002 Does the Book Have a Future?, Frome Festival
Talk, privately printed, The Old School Press
2002 review, Bernard Williams, Truth and Truthfulness, in The Guardian
2002 'Good Enough?', review, Simon Blackburn, Being Good, in The Times
2002 'Oxfam G.B., £5000, Neo-Zionism, After the Terror, and Medical Aid for
Palestinians', http://www.homepages.ucl.ac.uk/~uctytho/ATTOxfam1.htm
2000 'Yes, Tony's Talking that Equality Talk', The Guardian
2000 'Hampstead: Goodbye To All That', Camden New Journal,
http://www.homepages.ucl.ac.uk/~uctytho/hampstead.htm
2000 'You Gotta Read It', review, John Searle, Mind, Language and Society, in Times Literary Supplement,
http://www.homepages.ucl.ac.uk/~uctytho/HonderichreviewSearle.html
1999? 'Consciousness',
discussion with Roger Penrose, BBC In Our
Time programme, chairman Melvyn Bragg.
http://www.homepages.ucl.ac.uk/~uctytho/PenroseHonderichBragg.html
1992 Newsnight,
BBC, on J. S. Mill and the enforcement of morality
1992 'America on Trial', discussion with Profs.
Kennedy, Zander, Channel 4
1990 'Fees and Ethics', Times Higher Educational Supplement, 1990
1990 'Free Will Discussed', with Janet Radcliffe
Richards, BBC Open University broadcast
1989 'Simple Names and Language-Games', on Ludwig
Wittgenstein, Radio 3
1989 'A Conversation with A. J. Ayer', Radio 3
1988 'Introduction' to A. J. Ayer, 'The Meaning
of Life', Conway Memorial Lecture
1988 'Life-Hopes: A Conversation Between Ted
Honderich and Mary Warnock', on A Theory
of Determinism: The Mind, Neuroscience, and Life-Hopes, Radio 3, 16 May
1986 'Reasons', Six Debates, Anglia Television
1984 'Voices' programmes, presenter, Channel 4,
1984
1984 review, Derek Parfit, Reasons and Persons, in New
Statesman, 4 May
1982 review, Bernard Williams, Moral Luck, in New Statesman, 15 Jan
1981 review, Donald Davidson, Essays on Actions and Events, in New Statesman, 3 April
1981 review, C. L. Ten, Mill on Liberty, in Times
Higher Educational Supplement
1980 critical
discussion of Anthony Kenny, Will,
Freedom and Power and Freewill and
Responsibility, in Mind
1977 'Political Violence -- Is It Possible to
Have an Open Mind?', The Times, 26
Jan
1975 'Letter From Ghana', Radio 3 talk, one of 2
or 3 from Ghana
MEMBERSHIPS
Garrick Club
Aristotelian
Society
Mind
Association
Labour Party
Humanists
Cooperative Society