Williams, Sir Bernard Arthur Owen

Williams, Sir Bernard Arthur Owen
▪ 2004

      British philosopher (b. Sept. 21, 1929, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, Eng.—d. June 10, 2003, Rome, Italy), sought to revitalize moral philosophy and served on public commissions investigating gambling, drug abuse, social justice, public schools, and obscenity and censorship. In opposition to the positivist and analytic approach to moral philosophy, which held that philosophers have no substantive contribution to make to ethics, Williams adopted a naturalistic position in which he attempted to embed it in history and culture. He opposed both Kantianism and utilitarianism, which both assert that there is a single valid principle of morality, arguing instead that moral life should be investigated as it is experienced rather than in terms of abstract theories. Williams was educated (1946–51) at Chigwell School and Balliol College, Oxford. He taught at the Universities of Oxford, London, and Cambridge, where he was Knightbridge Professor of Moral Philosophy (1967–79) and provost (1979–87) of King's College. After two years (1988–90) at the University of California, Berkeley, Williams returned to Oxford, where he was White's Professor of Moral Philosophy (1990–96). His principal publications included Utilitarianism: For and Against (edited with J.J.C. Smart, 1973), Descartes: A Project of Pure Enquiry (1978), Morality (1972), Problems of the Self (1973), Moral Luck (1981), Shame and Necessity (1993), and Truth and Truthfulness (2002). He also served (1968–86) on the board of the English National Opera, and he was elected a fellow of the British Academy in 1971 and knighted in 1999.

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  • Bernard Arthur Owen Williams — Sir Bernard Arthur Owen Williams (* 21. September 1929 in Westcliff on Sea, Essex; † 10. Juni 2003 in Rom) war ein englischer Philosoph. Leben Bernard Williams erhielt den M.A. Degree der University of Oxford. Nach dem Dienst in der Royal Air… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Williams, Sir Bernard — ▪ English philosopher Introduction in full  Sir Bernard Arthur Owen Williams  born Sept. 21, 1929, Westcliff, Essex, Eng. died June 10, 2003, Rome, Italy  English philosopher, noted especially for his writings on ethics and the history of Western …   Universalium

  • Bernard Arthur Owen Williams — noun English philosopher credited with reviving the field of moral philosophy (1929 2003) • Syn: ↑Williams, ↑Sir Bernard Williams • Instance Hypernyms: ↑philosopher …   Useful english dictionary

  • Sir Bernard Williams — noun English philosopher credited with reviving the field of moral philosophy (1929 2003) • Syn: ↑Williams, ↑Bernard Arthur Owen Williams • Instance Hypernyms: ↑philosopher …   Useful english dictionary

  • Bernard Williams — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Bernard Williams. Sir Bernard Arthur Owen Williams (Westcliff on Sea, Essex, 21 septembre 1929 Rome, 10 juin 2003) était un philosophe anglais, considéré comme l un des plus brillants spécialistes de philosophie… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Bernard Williams — Sir Bernard Arthur Owen Williams (* 21. September 1929 in Westcliff on Sea, Essex; † 10. Juni 2003 in Rom) war ein englischer Philosoph. Bekannt wurde Williams vor allem als Kritiker des Utilitarismus und allgemein aller systematischen Ansätze in …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Bernard Williams — For other people named Bernard Williams, see Bernard Williams (disambiguation). Bernard Williams Full name Bernard Williams Born 21 September 1929(1929 09 21) Westcliff on Sea, Essex …   Wikipedia

  • Williams — noun 1. English philosopher credited with reviving the field of moral philosophy (1929 2003) • Syn: ↑Sir Bernard Williams, ↑Bernard Arthur Owen Williams • Instance Hypernyms: ↑philosopher 2. United States country singer and songwriter (1923 1953) …   Useful english dictionary

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