The White's Chair of Moral Philosophy was endowed in 1621 by
Thomas White (c. 1550–1624), Canon of
Christ Church as the oldest professorial post in philosophy at the
University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
.
In 2021, the chair was renamed the Sekyra and White’s Professorship of Moral Philosophy following a gift from the
Sekyra Foundation.
Under the original agreement, the professorship was to receive a stipend of £100 per annum, along with other payments and emoluments. The chair was not to be held for more than five years, or at the most ten years. In 1673, a practice began of electing one of the
proctors
Proctor's Theatre (officially stylized as Proctors since 2007; however, the marquee retains the apostrophe) is a theatre and former vaudeville house located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Many famous artists have performed there, notably ...
, usually the senior, to the office; in course of time the lectures were entirely dropped; and at length the Professorship was so far forgotten, that it was never mentioned in the Oxford Calendar before the year 1831, the practice having continued, with one exception, until February 1829.
The professorship was established on a new footing by a statute approved by the
Queen in Council
The King-in-Council or the Queen-in-Council, depending on the gender of the reigning monarch, is a constitutional term in a number of states. In a general sense, it would mean the monarch exercising executive authority, usually in the form of ap ...
in 1858. As a result of statutes made by the Commissioners of 1877, the professorship is now attached with a fellowship with
Corpus Christi College.
The Sekyra and White’s Professor of Moral Philosophy leads the study and development of moral philosophy within Oxford and supervises doctoral and Master’s students in the subject. The postholder also chairs the Oxford Moral Philosophy Seminar, which has hosted the world’s leading moral philosophers in recent decades. Previous holders of the Chair have contributed to debates around the biggest challenges facing humanity.
Holders of the White's Professorship of Moral Philosophy
*1621 William Price, MA, Student of
Christ Church
*1630 Thomas Ballow, MA, Student of
Christ Church
*1634
Edward Fulham, MA, Student of
Christ Church
*1638 George Gisbey, MA, Fellow of
St. John’s College
*1643
John Berkenhead, MA, Fellow of
All Souls College
All Souls College (official name: College of the Souls of All the Faithful Departed) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Unique to All Souls, all of its members automatically become fellows (i.e., full members of t ...
*1648 Edward Copley, MA, Fellow of
Merton College
Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, ch ...
*1649
Henry Wilkinson, BD, Principal of Magdalen Hall
*1654
Francis Howell, MA, Fellow of
Exeter College; afterwards Principal of
Jesus College
*1657 William Carpender, MA, Student of
Christ Church
*1660 Francis Palmer, MA, Student of
Christ Church
*1664 Andrew Crispe, MA, Fellow of
Christ Church
*1668
Nathaniel Hodges
Nathaniel Hodges M.D. (1629–1688) was an English physician, known for his work during the Great Plague of London and his written account '' Loimologia'' of it.
Early life
The son of Dr. Thomas Hodges, vicar of Kensington, he was born there ...
, MA, Student of
Christ Church
*1673 Abraham Campion, MA, Fellow and Senior Proctor of
Trinity College Trinity College may refer to:
Australia
* Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales
* Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...
...
*1708
Edward Thwaytes
Edward Thwaites (Thwaytes) (baptised 1661–1711) was an English scholar of the Anglo-Saxon language. According to David C. Douglas he was "one of the most inspiring teachers which Oxford has ever produced".
Life
Thwaites was the son of William ...
, MA, Fellow of
The Queen's College; Regius Professor of Greek
...
*1829 William Mills, BD, Fellow of
Magdalen College
Magdalen College (, ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete. Today, it is the fourth wealthiest college, with a financial endowment of £332.1 million as of 2019 and one of the s ...
*1834
Renn Dickson Hampden
Renn Dickson Hampden (29 March 1793 – 23 April 1868) was an English Anglican clergyman. His liberal tendencies led to conflict with traditionalist clergy in general and the supporters of Tractarianism during the years he taught in Oxford (18 ...
, DD, Principal of St. Mary Hall; afterwards
Regius Professor of Divinity,
Bishop of Hereford
*1836
William Sewell, MA, Fellow of
Exeter College
*1841 Charles William Stocker, DD, sometimes Fellow of
St. John’s College
*1842
George Henry Sacheverell Johnson
George Henry Sacheverell Johnson FRS (1808 – 5 November 1881) was a British clergyman and academic who was Dean of Wells and a professor at the University of Oxford.
Life and career
Johnson studied at The Queen's College, Oxford, winning a coll ...
, MA, Fellow of
The Queen's College, Savilian Professor of Astronomy
*1845
Henry George Liddell
Henry George Liddell (; 6 February 1811– 18 January 1898) was dean (1855–1891) of Christ Church, Oxford, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University (1870–1874), headmaster (1846–1855) of Westminster School (where a house is now named after ...
, MA, Student, afterwards Dean, of
Christ Church
*1846
John Matthias Wilson
John Matthias Wilson (b South Shields 15 June 1814 – d Oxford 1 December 1881) was an Oxford college head in the 19th century.
Wilson matriculated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford in 1832, graduating B.A. in 1836, M.A. in 1839, and B.D. in 1847 ...
, MA, Fellow, afterwards President, of
Corpus Christi College
*1851 John Matthias Wilson, re-elected
*1856–1858 Vacant
*1858 John Matthias Wilson, re-elected
*1874 John Richard Turner Eaton (1825–?), MA, sometimes Fellow of
Merton College
Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, ch ...
*1878
Thomas Hill (T.H.) Green (1836–1882), MA, Fellow of
Balliol College
Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the ...
*1882
William Wallace
Sir William Wallace ( gd, Uilleam Uallas, ; Norman French: ; 23 August 1305) was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence.
Along with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated an English army a ...
(1843–1897), MA, Student of
Balliol College
Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the ...
; Fellow of
Merton College
Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, ch ...
*1897
John Alexander Stewart (1846–1933), MA, Student of
Christ Church
*1923
William David (W. D.) Ross (1877–1971), MA, Fellow of
Oriel College
Oriel College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title formerly claimed by University College, w ...
*1928
Harold Arthur (H. A.) Prichard (1871–1947), MA, Scholar at
New College; Fellow at
Hertford College
Hertford College ( ), previously known as Magdalen Hall, is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on Catte Street in the centre of Oxford, directly opposite the main gate to the Bodleian Library. The colle ...
,
Trinity College Trinity College may refer to:
Australia
* Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales
* Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...
, and
Corpus Christi College
*1937
Herbert James Paton
Herbert James Paton FBA FSA Scot (30 March 1887 – 2 August 1969), usually cited as H. J. Paton, was a Scottish philosopher who taught at various university institutions, including Glasgow and Oxford. He worked in British intelligence during t ...
(1887–1969), MA (Glasgow), MA, Snell Exhibitioner at
Balliol College
Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the ...
; Fellow of
Corpus Christi College
*1952
John Langshaw (J. L.) Austin (1911–1960), MA, Fellow of
All Souls College
All Souls College (official name: College of the Souls of All the Faithful Departed) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Unique to All Souls, all of its members automatically become fellows (i.e., full members of t ...
and
Magdalen College
Magdalen College (, ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete. Today, it is the fourth wealthiest college, with a financial endowment of £332.1 million as of 2019 and one of the s ...
*1960
William Calvert Kneale
William Calvert Kneale (22 June 1906 – 24 June 1990) was an English logician best known for his 1962 book ''The Development of Logic'', a history of logic from its beginnings in Ancient Greece written with his wife Martha. Kneale was als ...
(1906–1990), MA, Fellow of
Exeter College
*1966
Richard Mervyn (R. M.) Hare (1919–2002), MA, Student and Fellow of
Balliol College
Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the ...
; Fellow of
Corpus Christi College
*1983–90 Vacant
*1990
Bernard Arthur Owen Williams
Sir Bernard Arthur Owen Williams, Fellow of the British Academy, FBA (21 September 1929 – 10 June 2003) was an English Ethics, moral philosopher. His publications include ''Problems of the Self'' (1973), ''Ethics and the Limits of Philos ...
(1929–2003), MA, Fellow of
Corpus Christi College
*1996
James Griffin (1933–2019), BA (Yale), MA, DPhil, Fellow of
Keble College
Keble College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to ...
and
Corpus Christi College
*2001
John Broome (1947–), BA (Cambridge), PhD (MIT), Fellow of
Corpus Christi College
*2014
Jeff McMahan (1954–), BA (Sewanee: University of the South), BA, MA (Oxford), PhD (Cambridge), Fellow of
Corpus Christi College
See also
*
Wilde Professor of Mental Philosophy
The Wilde Professorship of Mental Philosophy is a chair in philosophy at the University of Oxford. Its holder is elected to a Fellowship of Corpus Christi College.
The position was initially established in 1898 as a readership by an endowment fro ...
*
Waynflete Professor of Metaphysical Philosophy
The Waynflete Professorships are four professorial fellowships at the University of Oxford endowed by Magdalen College and named in honour of the college founder William of Waynflete, who had a great interest in science. These professorships are s ...
*
Wykeham Professor of Logic
References
*Oxford University Archives, '' The Historical Register of the University of Oxford '', 1220–1900
Notes
{{Reflist, 30em
Professorships at the University of Oxford
Professorships in philosophy
1621 establishments in England
Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Moral philosophers
Lists of people associated with the University of Oxford
Statutory Professors of the University of Oxford