Alan Ker Stout (9 May 1900 – 20 July 1983) was a
moral philosopher
Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns ma ...
working at the
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...
, who also wrote on
cinema
Cinema may refer to:
Film
* Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography
* Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image
** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking
* ...
. His father was
G. F. Stout, British philosopher.
[Armstrong D. M]
Obituary: Alan Ker Stout (1900-1983)
in Australian Academy of the Humanitie
1982-83 Proceedings
Biography
Stout gained his MA at
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
in 1924 and, in June of that year, he was appointed to an assistant lectureship at the University College of North Wales in Bangor, under Professor
James Gibson. In this period he published three articles on
Descartes and produced plays. He married Evelyn Roberts in 1927, an undergraduate leading lady in his theatre productions.
[
He was appointed Lecturer in Moral Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh in 1934. His mother, Isabella Ker (born in 1855), died at ]St Andrews
St Andrews ( la, S. Andrea(s); sco, Saunt Aundraes; gd, Cill Rìmhinn) is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fou ...
in 1935. In June 1939, having applied for the position at the suggestion of Professor John Anderson (philosopher)
John Anderson (1 November 1893 – 6 July 1962) was a Scottish philosopher who occupied the post of Challis Professor of Philosophy at Sydney University from 1927 to 1958. He founded the empirical brand of philosophy known as Australian reali ...
, he commenced a career in the foundation Chair of Moral and Political Philosophy at the University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...
, Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. He taught in Sydney until his retirement in 1965. He was the president of the New South Wales Film Council, and officer of Unesco
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
for films.John Anderson John Anderson may refer to:
Business
*John Anderson (Scottish businessman) (1747–1820), Scottish merchant and founder of Fermoy, Ireland
* John Byers Anderson (1817–1897), American educator, military officer and railroad executive, mentor of ...
, a controversial atheistic philosopher whose opinions were at odds with the university and the Christian establishment of the state of New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
. Stout was supposed to teach the "sensitive" subjects, like moral and political philosophy, while Anderson taught logic and metaphysics. There was no genuine opposition between both philosophers though, because Stout ended up generally supporting Anderson's ideas.[
From 1950 to 1967, Alan K. Stout was the editor of the '']Australasian Journal of Philosophy
The ''Australasian Journal of Philosophy'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal of philosophy and "one of the oldest English-language philosophy journals in the world". It was established in 1923 as ''The Australasian Journal of Psycho ...
''.[
]
Major publications
Books
*''Documentary films'', Sydney, 1944
*''Making films in Australia'', Melbourne : Australian National Film Board, 1946.
*''Abortion law reform'', Sydney, 1968.
Articles
*"The Basis of Knowledge in Descartes", ''Mind'', New Series, Vol. 38, No. 151, (Jul., 1929), pp. 330–342.
*"The Basis of Knowledge in Descartes" (II), ''Mind'', New Series, Vol. 38, No. 152, (Oct., 1929), pp. 458–472.
*"Descartes' Proof of the Existence of Matter", ''Mind'', New Series, Vol. 41, No. 162, (Apr., 1932), pp. 191–207.
*"Symposium: Can Philosophy Determine What Is Ethically or Socially Valuable?", J. L. Stocks, A. K. Stout, W. D. Lamont, ''Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society'', Supplementary Volumes, Vol. 15, ''What can Philosophy Determine?'', (1936), pp. 189–235
*"Free Will and Responsibility", ''Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society'', 37 (1936–37), reprinted in ''Readings in Ethical Theory'', selected and edited by Wilfrid Sellars
Wilfrid Stalker Sellars (May 20, 1912 – July 2, 1989) was an American philosopher and prominent developer of critical realism, who "revolutionized both the content and the method of philosophy in the United States".
Life and career
His father ...
and John Hospers
John Hospers (June 9, 1918 – June 12, 2011) was an American philosopher and political activist. Hospers was interested in Objectivism, and was once a friend of the philosopher Ayn Rand, though she later broke with him. In 1972, Hospers becam ...
, New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1952.
*"But Suppose Everyone Did the Same", ''Australasian Journal of Philosophy'' 32, 1954, pp. 1–29.
Further reading
*D. H. Monro, "Obituary Alan Ker Stout, 1900-1983", ''Australasian Journal of Philosophy'', 61:3 (1983), pp. 337–339.
*J. Franklin, ''Corrupting the Youth: A History of Philosophy in Australia'', Sydney 2003
ch. 5
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stout, Alan Ker
1900 births
1983 deaths
People educated at Fettes College
Alumni of Oriel College, Oxford
Academics of the University of Edinburgh
British philosophers
Academic staff of the University of Sydney
20th-century Australian philosophers