Oxford philosopher Kathy Wilkes, probably best known for her book Physicalism has died. The London Times has has a obituary. (I’ve now started to add Donald Davison obituaries to this post).
by Chris Bertram on September 4, 2003
Oxford philosopher Kathy Wilkes, probably best known for her book Physicalism has died. The London Times has has a obituary. (I’ve now started to add Donald Davison obituaries to this post).
{ 3 comments }
Tom Runnacles 09.04.03 at 7:11 pm
That’s very sad to hear.
KW gave a bunch of lectures on Mill in my first year at Oxford. Unusually for me (I’m just no good at mornings), I went to most of them, since she was funny and a bit eccentric and made the dry text of ‘Utilitarianism’ come alive.
Later, she interviewed me for a job at St Hilda’s, which I didn’t get. I had to give a ten-minute spiel on personal identity, and KW soon tied me up in knots, but she did it in a rather kindly way which is pretty unfamiliar in Oxford. I can imagine she was amazing in tutorials, particularly with less assertive students.
Jenny Carter 11.03.03 at 4:15 pm
I can’t believe she has gone.
Philosophy was just a millionth of her; she was the kindest truest bravest person in lonely old oxford academia, and fun too
Juan Galis-Menendez 01.12.04 at 3:47 pm
Kathy Wilkes was a remarkably gifted person: brave, brilliant, fearless in her struggle to bring the liberating power of philosophical discussion to totalitarian societies. As a refugee from one such society who greatly admired her books, while disagreeing with many of her conclusions, I am deeply saddened and forlorn at her loss. She embodied the Socratic spirit as well as anyone in our time.
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