Richard Wollheim facts for kids
Richard Arthur Wollheim (born May 5, 1923 – died November 4, 2003) was a British philosopher. He was known for his new ideas about how our minds work and how we feel emotions, especially when we experience visual arts like painting. He was also the leader of the British Society of Aesthetics from 1992 until he passed away in 2003.
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About Richard Wollheim
His Early Life and Education
Richard Wollheim's father, Eric Wollheim, worked in theater, and his mother, Constance Mary Baker, was an actress. Richard went to Westminster School in London. Later, he studied at Balliol College, Oxford. His studies were paused when he served in the military during World War II. In 1949, he finished his studies with excellent grades in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.
His Career as a Philosopher
After college, Richard Wollheim started teaching at University College London. He became a very important professor there, leading the Philosophy Department from 1963 to 1982. After that, he taught at Columbia University and then the University of California at Berkeley. He even led the department at UC Berkeley for a few years. He also taught as a guest at other famous universities like Harvard. Richard Wollheim gave many important talks, including the Andrew M. Mellon lectures, which later became his book Painting as an Art.
Wollheim's Paradox Explained
In 1962, Richard Wollheim wrote about something called "Wollheim's paradox." This idea looks at a problem a person might face when voting in a democracy. On one hand, a voter wants their favorite candidate or party to win. But on the other hand, they also want the person who gets the most votes to win, even if it's not their choice. This creates a kind of puzzle for democratic voters.
Ideas on Art and Mind
One of his most famous books was Art and its Objects. It was a very important book about the philosophy of art in the 20th century. He also seemed to be the first to use the phrase "Minimal Art" in an essay in 1965, though the meaning of the term changed over time. Besides his work on art, Wollheim was known for his philosophical ideas about how our minds work deeply, especially looking at the ideas of Sigmund Freud. A book about his childhood, called Germs: A Memoir of Childhood, was published after he died. It shares interesting details about his family and early life.
His Family Life
Richard Wollheim married Anne Barbara Denise. They had twin sons named Bruno and Rupert. Later, their marriage ended in 1967. In 1969, Richard Wollheim married Mary Day Lanier, and they had a daughter named Emilia.
See also
In Spanish: Richard Wollheim para niños
