Hugh Mellor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hugh Mellor
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| Born |
David Hugh Mellor
10 July 1938 London, England
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| Died | 21 June 2020 (aged 81) |
| Alma mater | Pembroke College, Cambridge |
| Era | Contemporary philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Analytic philosophy |
| Institutions | Darwin College, Cambridge |
| Doctoral advisor | Mary Hesse |
| Other academic advisors | Herbert Feigl |
| Doctoral students | Kwame Anthony Appiah, Jeremy Butterfield, Tim Crane, Huw Price, Rebecca Roache |
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Main interests
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Metaphysics Philosophy of science Philosophy of mind Philosophy of time |
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Notable ideas
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Mellor's account of chance |
David Hugh Mellor (born July 10, 1938 – died June 21, 2020) was an important British philosopher. He taught at Cambridge University for many years. He was a Professor of Philosophy and later became a Professor Emeritus there.
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Life and Education
Hugh Mellor was born in London, England, on July 10, 1938. He went to Manchester Grammar School when he was younger.
He first studied chemical engineering at Pembroke College, Cambridge. He earned his first degree in 1960. Later, he became interested in philosophy.
Studying Philosophy
Mellor began his formal study of philosophy at the University of Minnesota in the United States. There, he focused on the philosophy of science. He received his Master's degree in 1962.
He then returned to Pembroke College, Cambridge, to earn his PhD in philosophy. He completed his PhD in 1968. In 1990, he was awarded a higher degree, a Sc.D., from Cambridge.
Philosophical Work
Hugh Mellor's main area of study was metaphysics. This part of philosophy explores big questions about reality. For example, it looks at what exists and how things are related.
He also had many other interests in philosophy. These included the philosophy of science, which looks at how science works. He also studied the philosophy of mind, which explores what the mind is.
Other Interests
Mellor was also interested in the philosophy of time, thinking about what time is. He studied probability and causation, which are about how things happen and why.
He also looked at laws of nature and properties of things. Another area he explored was decision theory, which is about how we make choices.
From 1971 to 2005, Mellor was a Professor of Philosophy at Cambridge University. He was also a Fellow at Darwin College.
Public Discussions and Recognition
In 1992, Hugh Mellor was part of a public discussion. This happened when Cambridge University considered giving an honorary degree to Jacques Derrida. Derrida was a French philosopher known for his ideas on "deconstruction."
Mellor disagreed with giving Derrida the degree. He believed Derrida's work was not strong enough to deserve such an honor. Even so, the university decided to award the degree after a vote.
Awards and Memberships
Mellor was a respected member of the philosophical community. He was the president of the Aristotelian Society from 1992 to 1993. This is a well-known group for philosophers.
He was also a member of the Humanist Philosophers' Group. This group is part of the British Humanist Association. He was also an Honorary Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities.
From 1983 to 2008, he was a Fellow of the British Academy. This is a top honor for people in the humanities and social sciences. After he retired, he held the title of emeritus professor. This means he kept his professor title even after leaving his full-time job.
In 2003, a special book was published in his honor. It was called Real Metaphysics: Essays in Honour of D. H. Mellor.
Personal Life
Outside of his academic work, Hugh Mellor enjoyed acting. He was an amateur theatre actor.
He passed away on June 21, 2020.
