Ted Honderich
Grote Professor Emeritus of the philosophy of mind and logic at UCL, known for his outspoken political views and pioneering work on consciousness.
Grote Professor Emeritus of the philosophy of mind and logic at UCL, Ted Honderich is known for his outspoken views on issues of terrorism, democracy, anarchy and the principles of humanity.
BIOGRAPHY
Honderich was born in 1933 in Canada and started his studies in Toronto, graduating with a B.A. in Philosophy and English Literate which got him accepted at UCL for a PhD in 1959. He worked his whole life as a lecturer and professor in Britain, first at university of Sussex, then UCL and also as a Visiting professor in Bath, New York & Yale.
Philosophy with attitude
Most of his life has been about confrontation and independence, from resisting a strict religious upbringing to supporting the Occupy movement recently. By and large, Ted Honderich is a determinist, whose work has mainly focused on truth, consciousness and right and wrong (crime, political violence & terrorism). His involvement in political debates, for instance defending both Palestinians’ use of violence and the right of Israel to its original 1948 borders generated a fair deal of media attention, controversy and hatred and positioned him as a radically engaged philosopher.
His contributions to philosophy range from academic articles, books, media appearances (radio, TV), and being Chairman of the Royal Institute of Philosophy. In the absence of much competition, he (almost) unwillingly became a specialist on the philosophy of political violence in the 1970s and remained one of its main authors even after the war on terrorism started.
Philosophical works
Honderich’s chief involvement in the field of determinist studies resides in the rejection of both theories of Compatibilism (or soft determinism) and Incompatibilism, arguing that the freedom they refer to (voluntariness and origination) are essential to us. In that sense, he helped redefine determinism and give it a new purpose: freeing ourselves of what we must, but knowing the limits of our freedom (e.g. origination).
Likewise, his work on consciousness consisted in rejecting existing categorisations of the mind (physicalism and spiritualism) led to the “theory of radical externalism”, which defines the outside world partly according to our “perceptual consciousness”. In many ways, his contributions have managed to find a middle ground, which in the case of consciousness seem today confirmed by recent neuroscientific studies.
Grote Professor Emeritus of the philosophy of mind and logic at UCL, Ted Honderich is known for his outspoken views on issues of terrorism, democracy, anarchy and the principles of humanity.
BIOGRAPHY
Honderich was born in 1933 in Canada and started his studies in Toronto, graduating with a B.A. in Philosophy and English Literate which got him accepted at UCL for a PhD in 1959. He worked his whole life as a lecturer and professor in Britain, first at university of Sussex, then UCL and also as a Visiting professor in Bath, New York & Yale.
Philosophy with attitude
Most of his life has been about confrontation and independence, from resisting a strict religious upbringing to supporting the Occupy movement recently. By and large, Ted Honderich is a determinist, whose work has mainly focused on truth, consciousness and right and wrong (crime, political violence & terrorism). His involvement in political debates, for instance defending both Palestinians’ use of violence and the right of Israel to its original 1948 borders generated a fair deal of media attention, controversy and hatred and positioned him as a radically engaged philosopher.
His contributions to philosophy range from academic articles, books, media appearances (radio, TV), and being Chairman of the Royal Institute of Philosophy. In the absence of much competition, he (almost) unwillingly became a specialist on the philosophy of political violence in the 1970s and remained one of its main authors even after the war on terrorism started.
Philosophical works
Honderich’s chief involvement in the field of determinist studies resides in the rejection of both theories of Compatibilism (or soft determinism) and Incompatibilism, arguing that the freedom they refer to (voluntariness and origination) are essential to us. In that sense, he helped redefine determinism and give it a new purpose: freeing ourselves of what we must, but knowing the limits of our freedom (e.g. origination).
Likewise, his work on consciousness consisted in rejecting existing categorisations of the mind (physicalism and spiritualism) led to the “theory of radical externalism”, which defines the outside world partly according to our “perceptual consciousness”. In many ways, his contributions have managed to find a middle ground, which in the case of consciousness seem today confirmed by recent neuroscientific studies.
Ted Honderich In..
Actual Consciousness
The Limits of Human Consciousness and Thought
The Rise and Fall of Fantasy
Do we need new fantasies for the 21st Century?
Metaphors of the Mind
Does metaphor hold the key to consciousness?
Where Is My Mind?
It's not all in the brain
You May Also Like…
In Search of the Self
Are you an illusion?
The Limits of Logic
Should we embrace the irrational?
The Fractured Mind
Bence Nanay | Should we avoid temptations?
The Dance of Life
Is experience all that we have?
In Search Of Ourselves
Is self-discovery a desirable and vital goal?
Neuroscience vs. Philosophy
Explaining the secrets of the mind
The Limits of Reason
Is knowledge stranger than reason?
The Illusion of Sense
Do our senses radically limit our understanding?
How to be a Stoic
Live your Best Life
Knowing Others and Knowing Oneself
Are the minds of others profoundly unknowable?
The Mind and the World
Raymond Tallis | The issue with neuromania
The Limits of Freedom
Is there such a thing as too much freedom?
The Secrets of Consciousness
Can the brain explain experience?
Matter and Mind
Is consciousness inexplicable?
Hearts and Minds
Should intuition or reason guide us?
The Story of I
Where does the narrative of the self come from?
The Chemistry of Freedom
Is free will an illusion?
Mind and the Universe
Is consciousness stranger than we thought?
Fate, Freedom, and Neuroscience
The science of free will
Truth, Lies and Self-Deception
Can we see ourselves clearly if we want to?
Secrets of the Mind
Can science explain consciousness?
The Mind's Eye
Consciousness and the soul
The Extended Mind
Is consciousness confined to the body?
Owning Ourselves
Are our bodies our property?
Being Conscious
The science and philosophy of consciousness
On Having a Mind, Having a Body, and Being a Person
The Fragility of the Human Personality
Dangerous Convictions
Frank Furedi | Could we live without certainty?
Actual Consciousness
The Limits of Human Consciousness and Thought
Stories of Desire
Can desire help us make sense of the world?
At One With Ourselves
Are meditation and mindfulness just myths?
Mind in the 21st Century
The Tyranny of Freedom
Do we have too much choice?
The Evolution of Consciousness
The transformative ideas of Owen Barfield
The Edge of Reason
Beyond the limits of rationality
Metaphors of the Mind
Does metaphor hold the key to consciousness?
The Road to the Good Life
Is reason the key to a better world?
Are Selves Unreal?
Debunking the establishment's attack on the Self
Animal Reason
Is consciousness unique to humans?
Inside the Mind’s Eye
Catching Sight of Ourselves
Who looks back in the mirror?
The Philosopher’s Guide to Style
Why appearance matters
The Ego Trick
Is the self an illusion?
Sensuality and Deception
Who Looks Back in the Mirror
Are we any closer to understanding the self, and what makes each one of us who we are?
Outrageous Fortune
Fate in modern society
The Architecture of Being
Navigating our relationships
Entering the Unknown
What can we know of ourselves and the world?
Thinking Afresh
Is consistency consistent?
The View From Outside