Gillian Rose
Encyclopedia
Gillian Rose was a British scholar who worked in the fields of philosophy
and sociology
. Notable facets of this social philosopher's work include criticism of neo-Kantianism
and post-modernism, along with what has been described as "a forceful defense of Hegel's speculative thought."
's Pensées
and Plato
's The Republic.
Rose attended St. Hilda's College, Oxford where she read economics, philosophy, and politics. She was taught philosophy by Jean Austin, the widow of the philosopher J. L. Austin
. After hearing Austin say, "Remember, girls, all the philosophers you will read are much more intelligent than you are" within her first quarter attending the college, she began to bridle under the vision of philosophy Oxford put forth at this time.
Rose's academic career began with a dissertation on Theodor W. Adorno
, supervised by Leszek Kolakowski
. She was "Reader at the School of European Studies" (the University of Sussex
) and then "Professor of Social and Political Thought" at the University of Warwick
from 1989 to her death in 1995. As part of her thinking into the Holocaust, Professor Rose was engaged by the "Polish Commission for the Future of Auschwitz" in 1990.
Rose died at the age of 48 after a severe two-year battle with ovarian cancer
. She made a deathbed conversion
to Christianity
through the Anglican Church. She left to the library of Warwick University parts of her own personal library, including a collection of essential works on the History of Christianity and Theology, which are marked "From the Library of Professor Gillian Rose, 1995" on the inside cover. Gillian Rose is survived by her parents, her sister, the academic and writer Jacqueline Rose
, her half sisters, Alison Rose and Diana Stone, and her half brother, Anthony Stone.
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
. Notable facets of this social philosopher's work include criticism of neo-Kantianism
Neo-Kantianism
Neo-Kantianism refers broadly to a revived type of philosophy along the lines of that laid down by Immanuel Kant in the 18th century, or more specifically by Schopenhauer's criticism of the Kantian philosophy in his work The World as Will and Representation , as well as by other post-Kantian...
and post-modernism, along with what has been described as "a forceful defense of Hegel's speculative thought."
Life and work
She was born into a non-practicing Jewish family. While still young her mother divorced her father and shortly afterward married another man, her stepfather, with whom Gillian became close as she drifted from her father. In her memoir "Love's Work: A Reckoning with Life" she claims that her interest in philosophy and desire to pursue it was initiated at age 17 when she read PascalBlaise Pascal
Blaise Pascal , was a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer and Catholic philosopher. He was a child prodigy who was educated by his father, a tax collector in Rouen...
's Pensées
Pensées
The Pensées represented a defense of the Christian religion by Blaise Pascal, the renowned 17th century philosopher and mathematician. Pascal's religious conversion led him into a life of asceticism, and the Pensées was in many ways his life's work. "Pascal's Wager" is found here...
and Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
's The Republic.
Rose attended St. Hilda's College, Oxford where she read economics, philosophy, and politics. She was taught philosophy by Jean Austin, the widow of the philosopher J. L. Austin
J. L. Austin
John Langshaw Austin was a British philosopher of language, born in Lancaster and educated at Shrewsbury School and Balliol College, Oxford University. Austin is widely associated with the concept of the speech act and the idea that speech is itself a form of action...
. After hearing Austin say, "Remember, girls, all the philosophers you will read are much more intelligent than you are" within her first quarter attending the college, she began to bridle under the vision of philosophy Oxford put forth at this time.
Rose's academic career began with a dissertation on Theodor W. Adorno
Theodor W. Adorno
Theodor W. Adorno was a German sociologist, philosopher, and musicologist known for his critical theory of society....
, supervised by Leszek Kolakowski
Leszek Kolakowski
Leszek Kołakowski was a Polish philosopher and historian of ideas. He is best known for his critical analyses of Marxist thought, especially his acclaimed three-volume history, Main Currents of Marxism, which is "considered by some to be one of the most important books on political theory of the...
. She was "Reader at the School of European Studies" (the University of Sussex
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
) and then "Professor of Social and Political Thought" at the University of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
from 1989 to her death in 1995. As part of her thinking into the Holocaust, Professor Rose was engaged by the "Polish Commission for the Future of Auschwitz" in 1990.
Rose died at the age of 48 after a severe two-year battle with ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is a cancerous growth arising from the ovary. Symptoms are frequently very subtle early on and may include: bloating, pelvic pain, difficulty eating and frequent urination, and are easily confused with other illnesses....
. She made a deathbed conversion
Deathbed conversion
A deathbed conversion is the adoption of a particular religious faith shortly before dying. Making a conversion on one's deathbed may reflect an immediate change of belief, a desire to formalize longer-term beliefs, a desire to complete a process of conversion already underway, or a subconscious...
to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
through the Anglican Church. She left to the library of Warwick University parts of her own personal library, including a collection of essential works on the History of Christianity and Theology, which are marked "From the Library of Professor Gillian Rose, 1995" on the inside cover. Gillian Rose is survived by her parents, her sister, the academic and writer Jacqueline Rose
Jacqueline Rose
Jacqueline Rose is a British academic who is currently Professor of English at Queen Mary, University of London.-Life and work:...
, her half sisters, Alison Rose and Diana Stone, and her half brother, Anthony Stone.
Works
- The Melancholy Science, An Introduction to the Thought of Theodor W. AdornoTheodor W. AdornoTheodor W. Adorno was a German sociologist, philosopher, and musicologist known for his critical theory of society....
(1978) - Hegel Contra Sociology (1981)
- Dialectic Of Nihilism: Post-Structuralism and Law (1984)
- "Architecture to Philosophy - The Postmodern Complicity", an article in Theory, Culture & Society, Volume 5(2-3), June 1988 special edition on "Postmodernism".
- The Broken Middle: Out of Our Ancient Society (1992)
- Judaism and Modernity (1993)
- Love's Work: A Reckoning With Life (1995)
- Mourning Becomes the Law: Philosophy and Representation (1996)
- "Beginnings of the Day: Fascism and Representation", paper in Modernism, Culture and 'the Jew' (1998) [the book is dedicated to Rose]
- Paradiso (1999)
Works by Rose's students
- Contradiction of Enlightenment: Hegel and the Broken Middle by Nigel Tubbs
- Challenges to German Idealism: Schelling, Fichte and Kant by Kyriaki Goudeli
- Julia Kristeva: Psychoanalysis and Modernity by Sara Beardsworth
- Writing the Holocaust: Identity, Testimony, Representation by Zoe Waxman
- Truth and Social Science: from Hegel to Deconstruction by Ross Abbinnett
- Max Weber and Postmodern Theory: Rationalization versus Re-enchantment by Nicholas Gane