Stuart Hampshire facts for kids

Sir Stuart Newton Hampshire FBA (born October 1, 1914 – died June 13, 2004) was an important English philosopher, literary critic, and university leader. He was known for helping to change how people thought about right and wrong (moral philosophy) and politics after World War II. He was part of a group of thinkers at Oxford University who challenged traditional ways of thinking.

Stuart Hampshire's Life Story

Stuart Hampshire was born in Healing, Lincolnshire, England. His father, George Newton Hampshire, was a fish merchant. Stuart went to good schools, including Repton School and Balliol College, Oxford. At Oxford, he first studied history, but then switched to "Greats," which included studying ancient languages, philosophy, and history. He also loved painting and literature.

Early Career and War Service

After finishing his studies with top honors in 1936, Stuart Hampshire became a Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford. Here, he started teaching and researching philosophy. He was interested in a way of thinking called logical positivism at first. He also joined a group that discussed ideas with other famous philosophers like J. L. Austin and Isaiah Berlin.

When World War II began in 1940, he joined the army. Because he wasn't very strong physically, he was given a job in military intelligence near London. He worked with other Oxford friends, including Gilbert Ryle. During this time, he questioned Nazi officers. These experiences made him believe strongly in the idea of evil.

Return to Philosophy and Key Ideas

After the war, Stuart Hampshire worked for the government for a short time. Then, he went back to his career in philosophy. From 1947 to 1950, he taught at University College London. Later, he became a fellow at New College, Oxford. His book about the philosopher Baruch Spinoza, called Spinoza, was published in 1951. In 1955, he returned to All Souls.

His book Thought and Action, published in 1959, became very popular. In this book, he talked about how our thoughts and actions are connected. He believed that philosophers often focused too much on people as just observers. Instead, he argued that we should see people as active agents who make choices. He was influenced by the philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty.

Stuart Hampshire wanted to change how moral philosophy was studied. Instead of just looking at the logic of moral statements, he thought it was more important to understand how people deal with moral problems in their daily lives.

Leadership and Later Life

In 1960, Stuart Hampshire became a member of the British Academy. He also became a professor at University College London, taking over from A. J. Ayer. His reputation grew around the world. From 1963 to 1970, he led the philosophy department at Princeton University in the United States.

In 1970, he came back to Oxford to become the leader (Warden) of Wadham College, Oxford. He believed in liberal and socialist ideas. Because of his views, Wadham College was one of the first men-only Oxford colleges to allow women to study there in 1974. He felt that helping Wadham College become stronger was one of his biggest achievements.

Stuart Hampshire was knighted in 1979, which means he received the title "Sir." He retired from Wadham in 1984 and then became a professor at Stanford University in the United States. His last book, Justice Is Conflict, was published in 1999.

He also wrote many articles about literature and other topics for well-known publications like The Times Literary Supplement and The New York Review of Books. He was also in charge of the literature section of the Arts Council of Great Britain for many years.

Stuart Hampshire married Renée Ayer in 1961. After she passed away in 1980, he married Nancy Cartwright in 1985. Nancy was also a philosopher and worked with him at Stanford.

See also

In Spanish: Stuart Hampshire para niños