Sir Geoffrey James Warnock (16 August 1923 – 8 October 1995)[1] was an English philosopher and Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University.[2] Before his knighthood (in the 1986 New Year Honours), he was commonly known as G. J. Warnock.
Sir Geoffrey Warnock | |
|---|---|
 (c) The Open University 1973 | |
| Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford | |
| In office 1981–1985 | |
| Chancellor | The Earl of Stockton |
| Preceded by | Sir Rex Richards |
| Succeeded by | The Lord Neill of Bladen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Geoffrey James Warnock 16 August 1923 Leeds, England |
| Died | 8 October 1995 (aged 72) Axford, Wiltshire, England |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | Winchester College New College, Oxford |
| Known for | Philosopher and Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University |
Life
editWarnock was born at Neville House, Chapel Allerton, Leeds, West Yorkshire, to James Warnock (1880–1953), OBE, a general practitioner from Northern Ireland who had been a Captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps,[3] and Kathleen (née Hall; 1890–1979). The Warnocks later lived at Grade II-listed[4] Pull Croft, Sutton Courtenay, Oxfordshire (historically Berkshire).[5][6]
Warnock was educated at Winchester College.[1] He then served with the Irish Guards until 1945, before entering New College, Oxford, with a deferred classics scholarship. At New College, he read for a degree in PPE, graduating with a first in 1948.[7] His tutors during his studies included Isaiah Berlin and H.L.A. Hart.[7]
He was elected to a Fellowship at Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1949. After spending three years at Brasenose College, he returned to Magdalen as a Fellow and tutor in philosophy. In 1970, he was elected to Principal of Hertford College, Oxford (1971–1988), where there is now a society and student house named after him.[8] He was also the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1981 to 1985.[2]
Warnock, with co-editor J. O. Urmson, prepared for posthumous 1961 publication the Philosophical Papers of their friend, and fellow Oxford linguistic philosopher, J. L. Austin.[9] Warnock also reconstructed Austin's Sense and Sensibilia (1962) from manuscript notes.[10]
Warnock married Mary Wilson, a fellow philosopher of St Hugh's College, Oxford, and later Baroness Warnock, in 1949. They had two sons and three daughters.[11][12] He retired to live near Marlborough, Wiltshire, in 1988 and died of degenerative lung disease in 1995[13] at Axford in Wiltshire.
Works
editBooks
- Berkeley, Penguin Books, 1953.
- English Philosophy Since 1900, 1st edition, Oxford University Press, 1958; 2nd edition, Oxford University Press, 1969.
- Contemporary Moral Philosophy (New studies in ethics), Palgrave Macmillan, 1967. ISBN 978-0333048979.
- The Object of Morality, Methuen, 1971. ISBN 0-416-13780-6.
- Morality and Language, Barnes & Noble. 1983
- J. L. Austin (The Arguments of the Philosophers), Routledge, 1989.
Papers/book chapters
- "The Primacy of Practical Reason" Proceedings of the British Academy 52, 1966 (1967)
For a more complete list of Warnock's works see his PhilPapers entry
References
edit- ^ a b Torrance, John (16 October 1995). "Obituary: Sir Geoffrey Warnock — Obituaries, News". The Independent. London. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
- ^ a b "Previous Vice-Chancellors". University of Oxford, UK. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
- ^ The Medical Register, vol. 2- Provinces and Wales, J. & A. Churchill, Ltd, 1948, p. 2199
- ^ "British Listed Buildings: Number 53 (Pull Croft) and railings to front". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
- ^ "Warnock, Sir Geoffrey James". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/60440. Retrieved 21 March 2019. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ Wills and Probate 1858–1996, surname 'Warnock', year of death '1954', page 170, Warnock, James, of Pull Croft, Sutton Courtenay, died 4 December 1953, Probate to Kathleen Warnock, widow
- ^ a b Gardiner, Patrick (15 October 1995). "OBITUARY: Sir Geoffrey Warnock". The Independent. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ Geoffrey Warnock student accommodation Archived 1 October 2005 at the Wayback Machine, Hertford College, Oxford, UK.
- ^ Austin, J. L. (1961). Urmson, J. O.; Warnock, G. J. (eds.). Philosophical Papers. Universal Digital Library. Oxford University Press. OL 5843510M.
- ^ Austin, J. L. (John Langshaw) (1964). Sense and Sensibilia. Internet Archive. London : Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-500307-9.
- ^ "Belief transcript: Mary Warnock interview". archived at the Wayback Machine, 6 February 2007. Archived from the original on 6 February 2007.
- ^ "House of Lords". TheyWorkForYou. 25 July 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
- ^ "Mary Warnock". The Gifford Lectures. 18 August 2014. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
External links
edit- Geoffrey Warnock on Kant on YouTube Discussion with Bryan Magee
- Behaviour control: freedom and morality (video) Warnock in discussion with B. F Skinner and host Godfrey Vesey (Open University, 1972)
- Photograph of Geoffrey and Mary Warnock by Steve Pyke