John Lucas (philosopher)
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John Randolph Lucas (born 18 June, 1929) is a British philosopher.
As an undergraduate at Balliol College, Oxford, 1947-1950, Lucas studied first mathematics, then Greats (Philosophy and Ancient History), obtaining the MA in Philosophy in 1954. He spent the 1957-58 academic year at Princeton University, deepening his understanding of mathematics and logic. For 36 years, until his 1996 retirement, he was a Fellow and Tutor of Merton College, Oxford, and remains an emeritus member of the University Faculty of Philosophy. He is a Fellow of the British Academy.
Lucas is perhaps best known for his paper "Minds, Machines and Gödel," arguing that an automaton cannot represent a human mathematician. Douglas Hofstadter's Gödel, Escher, Bach includes an extensive critical discussion of Lucas's argument and the ensuing vigorous debate in the academic literature.
A prolific author with unusually diverse teaching and research interests, Lucas has written on the philosophy of mathematics, especially the implications of Gödel's incompleteness theorem, the philosophy of mind, free will and determinism, the philosophy of science with special reference to special relativity, causality, political philosophy, ethics and business ethics, and the philosophy of religion.
The son of a Church of England clergyman, Lucas describes himself as "a dyed-in-the-wool traditional Englishman." He and Morar Portal have four children. Sartorially independent, he may be remembered for a cool-weather habit of wearing a tie over his sweater under a jacket.
In addition to his philosophical career, Lucas has taken a practical interest in business ethics. He helped found the Oxford Consumers' Group [1], and was its first Chairman in 1961-3, serving again in 1965.
Career highlights
- 1942-7. Schooled at St Mary's College, Winchester (commonly known as Winchester College)
- 1947-51. Attended Balliol College, Oxford in a scholarship.
- 1948. Mathematical Moderations, 1st Class.
- 1951. BA with 1st Class Honours, Greats.
- 1951-3. Harmsworth Senior Scholar, Merton College, Oxford.
- 1952. John Locke Scholarship, Balliol College, Oxford.
- 1953-6. Junior Research Fellow, Merton College, Oxford.
- 1956-9. Fellow and Assistant Tutor, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.
- 1957-8. Jane Eliza Procter Visiting Fellow, Princeton University.
- 1959-60. Leverhulme Research Fellow, Leeds University.
- 1960-96. Fellow and Tutor of Merton College, Oxford.
- 1988. Elected a Fellow of the British Academy.
- 1990-6. Reader in Philosophy, Oxford University.
- 1991-3. President, British Society for the Philosophy of Science.
Books
- 1966. Principles of Politics (edited). ISBN 0198247745
- 1970. The Concept of Probability. ISBN 0198243405
- 1970. The Freedom of the Will. ISBN 019824343X
- 1972. The Nature of Mind. (with A. J. P. Kenny, H. C. Longuet-Higgins, and C. H. Waddington)
- 1973. The Development of Mind. (with A.J.P.Kenny, H.C.Longet-Higgins, and C.H.Waddington)
- 1973. A Treatise on Time and Space. ISBN 0416750702
- 1976. Essays on Freedom and Grace. ISBN 0281029326
- 1976. Democracy and Participation. ISBN 0140218823
- 1978. Butler's Philosophy of Religion Vindicated. ISBN 0907078060
- 1980. On Justice. ISBN 019824598X
- 1985. Space, Time and Causality (with P. E. Hodgson). ISBN 0198750579
- 1989. The Future. ISBN 0631166599
- 1990. Spacetime and Electromagnetism (with P. E. Hodgson). ISBN 0198520387
- 1993. Responsibility. ISBN 019823578X
- 1997. Ethical Economics (with M. R. Griffiths). ISBN 0312163983
- 1999. Conceptual Roots of Mathematics. ISBN 041520738X
- 2003. An Engagement with Plato's Republic (with B.G. Mitchell). ISBN 0754633667
There is an online bibliography of all of Lucas's publications, many being available online.
External links
- Lucas, John R., 2002, "The Godelian Argument," The Truth Journal.
- Home page of J. R. Lucas, with much online material.
- Short bio of Lucas,, including his Who's Who entry.
- Oxford University Faculty of Philosophy Home Page.
- Oxford Consumers' Group.fr:John Lucas