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Richard Taylor (philosopher)

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Richard Taylor
BornNovember 5, 1919
Charlotte, Michigan, U.S.[1]
DiedOctober 30, 2003(2003-10-30) (aged 83)
Trumansburg, New York, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
EducationBrown University (PhD)
Era20th-century philosophy
RegionWestern philosophy
SchoolAnalytic philosophy
InstitutionsBrown University, Columbia University, University of Rochester
Doctoral advisorRoderick Chisholm
Notable studentsNorman Bowie, Myles Brand, Keith Lehrer, Peter van Inwagen
Main interests
Metaphysics
Virtue ethics
Arthur Schopenhauer

Richard Clyde Taylor[2] (November 5, 1919 – October 30, 2003)[3] was an American philosopher renowned for his contributions to metaphysics and virtue ethics. He was also an internationally known beekeeper.

Biography

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Richard C. Taylor was born in Charlotte, Michigan on November 5, 1919 and earned his B.A. at the University of Illinois in 1941 and subsequently earned his M.A. from Oberlin College in 1947. In 1951, he received his PhD at Brown University, where his supervisor was Roderick Chisholm.[4] During World War II he served his country as a commissioned submarine officer.[5][6]

Over the course of his academic career, Taylor served as the William H. P. Faunce Professor of Philosophy at Brown University, a Professor of Philosophy (Graduate Faculty) at Columbia University and a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Rochester. In addition, he assumed visiting appointments at about a dozen other institutions including: Cornell University, Hamilton College, Hartwick, Ohio State, Princeton University, Union and Wells College.[5][7]

Academic work

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In general terms Taylor argued that the ultimate objective of modern philosophical inquiry should not be the accumulation of a body of philosophical knowledge within a particular school of thought, which he characterized as being unattainable. Instead, he advocated a return to the ancient view that the study of philosophy is best described as the love of wisdom.[8]

Defying conventional academic expectations, Taylor readily embraced the works of such ancient philosophers such as Thales, Epicurus, Plato and Aristotle while also admiring the more pessimistic contributions of Arthur Schopenhauer. He remained disdainful of the works of Immanuel Kant, however, and was equally dismissive of the "foolishness" which sometimes characterized organized religious practice in general. Nevertheless, he was careful not to characterize himself as a secular humanist.[5]

It has been observed that in Taylor's view, the German idealists who followed Immanuel Kant were needlessly preoccupied with the formulation of an intricate system of intellectual moral philosophy which is based upon objective rules and a conceptualization of what it means to be dutiful. Following Schopenhauer's lead, Taylor objected to utilizing rationalism as the ultimate basis for any philosophical insight into the human condition. Like Schopenhauer, Taylor argued instead, that mankind's natural "will" or "striving" to achieve is far more fundamental than "rationality" per se. With this in mind, he argued against the emphasis placed by some modern philosophers on egalitarianism and pointed to the use of "compassion" as a source of moral value. In addition, he argued in favor of transcending a mundane existence through the pursuit of creative individual excellence and the realization of a virtuous life as envisioned by the philosophers of ancient Greece. As Taylor readily admitted, this qualified him as something akin to a philosophical "elitist".[9]

Paradoxically, Taylor was also quick to describe himself as a humanist who simultaneously embraced a belief in God as derived from his consciousness of the profound mysteries of life in the natural world. In this sense, he has also been described as an idiosyncratic Theist who does not necessarily support a particular organized religious practice per se, but who espouses a belief in a divine presence within the natural order. Consequently, his views are analogous to those espused by Socrates, Baruch Spinoza, William James and to a lesser extent J. S. Mills.[10]

Always unpretentious, however, Taylor did not exempt his own philosophical output from harsh criticism and even humorously described some of it as being of "little account". Later in his academic career he reexamined his philosophical thoughts once again and subsequently embraced pacifism despite having served as a commissioned officer on a submarine during World War II. Above all else, he enjoyed dialectic exchanges with his students, as well as the practice of Socratic whimsy in his lectures. His students at the University of Rochester often delighted in his custom of disavowing all pretense by conducting his lectures casually clad in khakis, a rugged pair of work boots and a flannel shirt while accompanied by Polly (his trusty Dalmatian), a warm thermos of hot tea and a kind hearted twinkle in his eye.[5]

Over the years, Taylor was a frequent contributor to the Free Inquiry magazine. He was also inducted into the International Academy of Humanism. In 1993, he debated William Lane Craig over the subject 'Is The Basis For Morality Natural or Supernatural?'.[11]

Taylor's best-known book was Metaphysics (1963). Other works included Action and Purpose (1966), Good and Evil (1970) and Virtue Ethics (1991). Taylor was also the editor of The Will to Live: Selected Writings of Arthur Schopenhauer.[12][13] He was an enthusiastic advocate of virtue ethics.[14] He also wrote influential papers on the meaning of life, which, like Albert Camus, he explored through an examination of the myth of Sisyphus.

Taylor's 1962 essay "Fatalism"[15] was the subject of David Foster Wallace's undergraduate thesis at Amherst College, published in 2011 together with Taylor's essay and contemporary responses under the title Fate, Time, and Language: An Essay on Free Will.[16]

Notable philosophers who studied under Taylor as graduate students include Norman Bowie, Myles Brand, Keith Lehrer, and Peter van Inwagen.[17]

Apiarist

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In addition to his achievements within the academic realm, Taylor was a devoted apiarist and also made significant contributions to the art of beekeeping. He owned three hundred hives of bees and, from 1970, produced mostly comb honey. He explained his management techniques in several books, including The Comb Honey Book and The Joys of Beekeeping.[18] In keeping with his philosophical convictions, his honey stand was located in front of his country home on Cayuga Lake and was operated strictly on the honor system, which Taylor encouraged through the use of gentle and kind solicitations posted on its walls.[5]

Death

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Taylor died at the age of 83 on October 30, 2003, in his home in Trumansburg, New York due to complications ensuing from lung cancer.[17]

Publications

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Included among Richard Taylors publications are the following texts:[19]

External videos
video icon You may read works by Richard Taylor including:
"Metaphysics"
"Good and Evil: A New Direction"
"The Will to Live: Selected Writings by Arthur Schopenhauer"
Here on Archive.org
video icon You may read Richard Taylor's book "Metaphysics" (1963) online
Here at hathitrust.org
  • The Will to Live: Selected Writings of Arthur Schopenhauer. Ed. Richard Tayler.(1962)[20]
  • Metaphysics by Richard Taylor (1963)[21]
  • On the Basis of Morality by Arthur Schopenhauer, Richard Taylor, E. F. J. Payne (1965)[22]
  • Action and Purpose by Richard Taylor (1966)[23]
  • Freedom and Determinism. Ed. Richard Taylor (1966)[24]
  • Good and Evil: A New Direction by Richard Taylor (1970)[25]
  • Freedom, Anarchy, and the Law: An Introduction to Political Philosophy by Richard Taylor (1973)[26]
  • On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason. Arthur Schopenhauer. Introduction by Richard Taylor (1974) [27]
  • Ethics, Faith and Reason by Richard Taylor (1985)[28]
  • Reflective Wisdom. by Richard Taylor (1989)[29]
  • Virtue Ethics An Introduction by Richard Taylor (1991)[30]
  • Restoring Pride: The Lost Virtue of Our Age (1996) by Richard Taylor[31]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Bee Culture Magazine, "Richard Taylor (1919-2003)", January 2004, Vol 132, No 1, p 64.
  2. ^ Shook, John R. (2005-05-15). Dictionary Of Modern American Philosophers. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 2393. ISBN 978-1-84714-470-6.
  3. ^ "Richard Taylor Remembered - Issue 44 - Philosophy Now". www.philosophynow.org.
  4. ^ PhilPapers. Inwagen, P. van. Ed. "Time and Cause: Essays Presented to Richard Taylor" Reidel (1980) Abstract. Biography of Richard Taylor on Philpapers.org
  5. ^ a b c d e "Obituary: Richard Taylor Remembered" by Robert L. Holmes, Barry Gan, Tim Madigan, Philosophy Now, Issue 44, 2004.
  6. ^ PhilPapers. Inwagen, P. van. Ed. "Time and Cause: Essays Presented to Richard Taylor" Reidel (1980) Abstract. Biography of Richard Taylor on Philpapers.org
  7. ^ PhilPapers. Inwagen, P. van. Ed. "Time and Cause: Essays Presented to Richard Taylor" Reidel (1980) Abstract. Biography of Richard Taylor on Philpapers.org
  8. ^ Metaphilosophy - "Faltering Wisdom: Richard Taylor and Philosophical Seeing" Netzky, Ralph. Vol. 5, No. 4 Wiley, pp. 320-332 on JSTOR.org
  9. ^ Philo -"The Philosophy of Richard Taylor" . Vol 1, No. 2 Fall-Winter 1998 pp. 61-66 "Restoring Pride: The Lost Virtue of Our Age" by Richard Taylor. Book reviewed by Paul B. Cliteur, Prof.of Philosophy at Technical University Delft on Scholarly Publications Leiden University on Philosophy Documentation Center Google.com
  10. ^ Philo-" Book reviews -The Philosophy of Richard Taylor" . Vol 1, No. 2 Fall-Winter 1998 pp. 61-66 "Restoring Pride: The Lost Virtue of Our Age" by Richard Taylor. Book reviewed by Paul B. Cliteur, Prof. of Philosophy at Technical University Delft on Philosophy Documentation Center Google.com
  11. ^ "Is the Basis of Morality Natural or Supernatural? - Reasonable Faith". www.reasonablefaith.org. Archived from the original on 2012-04-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  12. ^ Anchor Books A266: 1962.
  13. ^ Richard Taylor's publications on Philpapers.org
  14. ^ Virtue Ethics: An Introduction. Taylor Richard. Prometheus Books, 2002 Abstract on Philpapers.org
  15. ^ Philosophical Review, Vol. 71, No. 1 (1962).
  16. ^ New York: Columbia University Press (ISBN 978-0-231-15156-6)
  17. ^ a b Holmes, Robert (2004). "Richard Taylor Remembered". Philosophy Now. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  18. ^ the Joys of Beekeeping by Richard Taylor on Worldcat.org
  19. ^ Richard Tayler's publications on Worldcat.org
  20. ^ https://www.worldcat.org/title/887321 The Will to Live: Selected Writings of Arthur Schopenhauer. Ed. Richard Tayler. F. Unger Publishing Co., New York 1967 & 1962 on worldcat.org
  21. ^ https://www.worldcat.org/title/374702 Metaphysics. Taylor, Richard. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1963 on worldcat.org
  22. ^ On the basis of Morality. Schopenhauer, Arthur & Richard Taylor & E. F. J. Payne. Bobbs-Merrill, Indianapolis, 1965 on Worldcat.org
  23. ^ Action and Purpose. Taylor, Richard. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1966 on worldcat.org
  24. ^ Freedom and Determinism - Ed. Richard Taylor, Random House, New York 1966 on worldcat.org
  25. ^ Good and Evil: A New Direction. Taylor, Richard. Macmillan, New York, 1970 on Worldcat.org
  26. ^ Freedom, Anarchy, and the Law: An Introduction to Political Philosophy. Taylor, Richard. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1973 on worldcat.org
  27. ^ On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason Introduction by Richard Taylor, Open Court, La Salle, Illinois, 1974 on worldcat.org
  28. ^ Ethics, Faith and Reason. Taylor, Richard. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1985 on worldcat.org
  29. ^ PhilPapers - "Reflective Wisdom" Taylor, Richard. ed. John Donnelly. Promethius Books, Buffalo, NY 1989 on philpapers.org
  30. ^ "Virtue Ethics An Introduction". Taylor, Richard. Prometheus Books 1991 & 2002 ISBN 9781573929431 Virtue Ethics An Introduction on Google Books
  31. ^ Philo -"The Philosophy of Richard Taylor" . Vol 1, No. 2 Fall-Winter 1998 pp. 61-66 "Restoring Pride: The Lost Virtue of Our Age" by Richard Taylor. Book reviewed by Paul B. Cliteur, Prof.of Philosophy at Technical University Delft on Scholarly Publications Leiden University on Philosophy Documentation Center Google.com

Further reading

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  • Donnelly, John (2007), Reflective Wisdom, Prometheus Books, ISBN 978-0-87975-522-5
  • LaScola, Russell (1992), "A Common Sense Approach to the Mind-body Problem: A Critique of Richard Taylor", Journal of Philosophical Research, 17: 279–286, doi:10.5840/jpr_1992_24
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