Posted 10 May 2013
UCD honours world-leading philosopher, Professor John H. McDowell
One of the most influential and widely discussed philosophers of our time, Professor John H. McDowell has been conferred with an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Literature by University College Dublin.
Distinguished University Professor of Philosophy in the Pittsburgh School of Arts and Sciences, John H. McDowell has held visiting appointments at Harvard University, the University of Michigan, UCLA, and Princeton University.
Professor Brian Nolan, Principal of the UCD College of Human Sciences; Professor Mark Rogers, UCD Deputy President and Vice-President for Academic Affairs; Professor John H. McDowell, Distinguished University Professor of Philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh; and Professor Maria Baghramian, Head of the UCD School of Philosophy, University College Dublin
He is a Fellow of the British Academy (elected in 1983), a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (elected in 1992), and a recipient of the Andrew Mellon Foundation Distinguished Achievement Award (2010).
Before taking up his current post at the University of Pittsburgh in 1986, Professor McDowell taught at University College Oxford.
“The breathtaking scope of his work, ranging across the history of philosophy, philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, metaphysics, and ethics, as well as the depth and originality of his challenging ideas are the reasons for the worldwide recognition and many accolades he has received,” said Professor Maria Baghramian, Head of the UCD School of Philosophy, who delivered the citation at the conferring ceremony.
His book, Mind and World (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1994), originally delivered as John Locke Lectures at Oxford, is seen by many philosophers as one of the finest philosophical works of the past-half century.
According to Professor Baghramian, in his writings, above all, John McDowell has tried to overcome various obstacles that stand in the way of a healthy understanding of ourselves and our relation to the world.
While at University College Dublin, Professor John H. McDowell delivered the 2013 Agnes Cuming Lectures and Seminar over three days from 23–25 April.
"Can cognitive science determine epistemology?" - a lecture by Professor John H. McDowell at University College Dublin
"Are the senses silent?" - a lecture by Professor John H. McDowell at
University College Dublin
(Produced by UCD University Relations)
