W. B. Gallie
Encyclopedia
Walter Bryce Gallie was a Scottish
social theorist, political theorist, and philosopher.
Bryce Gallie, the son of an engineer, was born in Lenzie
, East Dunbartonshire
, near Glasgow
on 5 October 1912.
He grew up in a British boarding school
and later published his memoirs of this in the book An English School.
He married Menna Patricia Humphreys
in 1940. They had a son and a daughter.
.
' (Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, vol. 56, 1956, pp. 167-198) is a seminal statement in the philosophy of the social sciences. Here, Gallie argued that it is impossible to conclusively define key appraisive concepts such as 'social justice
,' 'democracy
,' 'Christian life
', 'art
', 'moral goodness' and 'duty
', although it is possible and rational to discuss one's justifications for holding one interpretation over competing ones. Clarification of such concepts involves not the examination of predictive relations (as is the case for most scientific concepts), but rather, consideration of how the concept has been used by different parties throughout its history.
,Ceredigion ] on 31 August 1998:
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
social theorist, political theorist, and philosopher.
Bryce Gallie, the son of an engineer, was born in Lenzie
Lenzie
Lenzie is a small town by the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway in the East Dunbartonshire council area of Scotland. It is about six miles north-east of Glasgow city centre and one mile south of Kirkintilloch. It has a population of about 10,000.-Name:...
, East Dunbartonshire
East Dunbartonshire
This article is about the East Dunbartonshire council area of Scotland. See also East Dunbartonshire .East Dunbartonshire is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders onto the north-west of the City of Glasgow. It contains many of the suburbs of Glasgow as well as containing many of...
, near Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
on 5 October 1912.
He grew up in a British boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
and later published his memoirs of this in the book An English School.
He married Menna Patricia Humphreys
Menna Gallie
Menna Patricia Humphreys Gallie was a Welsh novelist and translator.She was born in Ystradgynlais. She married the philosopher W. B...
in 1940. They had a son and a daughter.
Military career
He served in the British Army from 1940 to 1945, leaving the service with the rank of Major. He was awarded the Croix de guerreCroix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
.
Academic career
- 1935-1938: Assistant Lecturer in Philosophy, University College of SwanseaSwansea UniversitySwansea University is a university located in Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom. Swansea University was chartered as University College of Swansea in 1920, as the fourth college of the University of Wales. In 1996, it changed its name to the University of Wales Swansea following structural changes...
. - 1938-1948: Lecturer in Philosophy, University College of Swansea.
- 1948-1950: Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, University College of Swansea.
- 1950-1954: Professor of Philosophy, University College of North StaffordshireKeele UniversityKeele University is a campus university near Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England. Founded in 1949 as an experimental college dedicated to a broad curriculum and interdisciplinary study, Keele is most notable for pioneering the dual honours degree in Britain...
. - 1954-1967: Professor of Logic and Metaphysics, Queen's University, Belfast.
- 1967-1978: Professor of Political Science, Cambridge UniversityUniversity of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. - 1967-1978: Fellow of PeterhousePeterhouse, CambridgePeterhouse is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the oldest college of the University, having been founded in 1284 by Hugo de Balsham, Bishop of Ely...
. - 1970-1971: President of the Aristotelian SocietyAristotelian SocietyThe Aristotelian Society for the Systematic Study of Philosophy was founded at a meeting on 19 April 1880, at 17 Bloomsbury Square which resolved "to constitute a society of about twenty and to include ladies; the society to meet fortnightly, on Mondays at 8 o'clock, at the rooms of the Spelling...
Publications
He published (among other things) "Explanations in History and the Genetic Sciences", Philosophy and the Historical Understanding, Philosophers of War and Peace, and Wanted: A Philosophy of International Relations (1979).Essentially Contested Concepts
His paper on 'Essentially Contested ConceptsEssentially contested concept
In a paper delivered to the Aristotelian Society on 12 March 1956, Walter Bryce Gallie introduced the term essentially contested concept to facilitate an understanding of the different applications or interpretations of the sorts of abstract, qualitative, and evaluative notions — such as...
' (Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, vol. 56, 1956, pp. 167-198) is a seminal statement in the philosophy of the social sciences. Here, Gallie argued that it is impossible to conclusively define key appraisive concepts such as 'social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
,' 'democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
,' 'Christian life
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
', 'art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
', 'moral goodness' and 'duty
Duty
Duty is a term that conveys a sense of moral commitment to someone or something. The moral commitment is the sort that results in action and it is not a matter of passive feeling or mere recognition...
', although it is possible and rational to discuss one's justifications for holding one interpretation over competing ones. Clarification of such concepts involves not the examination of predictive relations (as is the case for most scientific concepts), but rather, consideration of how the concept has been used by different parties throughout its history.
Death
He died at CardiganCardigan, Ceredigion
Cardigan is a town in the county of Ceredigion in Mid Wales. It lies on the estuary of the River Teifi at the point where Ceredigion meets Pembrokeshire. It was the county town of the pre-1974 county of Cardiganshire. It is the second largest town in Ceredigion. The town's population was 4,203...
,Ceredigion ] on 31 August 1998:
Works
- Gallie, W. B., A New University: A. D. Lindsay and the Keel Experiment, Chatto & Windus, (London), 1960.
- Gallie, W. B., An English School, Cresset Press, (London), 1949.
- Gallie, W.B., "An Interpretation of Causal Laws", Mind, Vol.48, No.192, (October 1939), pp. 409-426.
- Gallie, W.B., "Art as an Essentially Contested Concept", The Philosophical Quarterly, Vol.6, No.23, (April 1956), pp. 97-114.
- Gallie, W.B., "Essentially Contested Concepts", Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, Vol.56, (1956), pp. 167-198.
- Gallie, W.B., "Explanations in History and the Genetic Sciences", Mind, Vol.64, No.254, (April 1955), pp. 160-180.
- Gallie, W. B., Free Will and Determinism Yet Again: An Inaugural Lecture Delivered on 15 May, 1957 at the Queen's University of Belfast, Marjory Boyd, (belfast), 1957.
- Gallie, W. B., How to Think about Nuclear Weapons: J.R. Jones Memorial Lecture Delivered at the College on April 26, 1983, University College of Swansea, (Swansea), 1983.
- Gallie, W.B., "Kant's View of Reason in Politics", Philosophy, Vol.54, No.207, (January 1979), pp. 19-33.
- Gallie, W.B., "Narrative and Historical Understanding" [reprint of "The Historical Understanding" (1964), pp. 40-51 in Roberts, G. (ed), The History and Narrative Reader, Routledge, (London), 2001.
- Gallie, W. B., Peirce and Pragmatism, Penguin Books, (Harmondsworth), 1952.
- Gallie, W. B., Philosophers of Peace and War: Kant, Clausewitz, Marx, Engels and Tolstoy [The Wiles Lectures, delivered at Belfast University in May 1976], Cambridge University Press, (Cambridge), 1978.
- Gallie, W.B., Philosophy and the Historical Understanding, Chatto & Windus, (London), 1964.
- Gallie, W.B., "The Function of Philosophical Aesthetics", pp. 13-35 in Elton, W.R., Aesthetics and Language: Essays by W. B. Gallie and Others, Basil Blackwell, (Oxford), 1954.
- Gallie, W.B., "The Idea of Practice", Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, Vol.68, (1967-1968), pp. 63-86.
- Gallie, W.B., "The Lords' Debate on Hanging July 1956: Interpretation and Comment", Philosophy, Vol.32, No.121, (April 1957), pp. 132-147.
- Gallie, W. B., Understanding War: An Essay on the Nuclear Age, Routledge, (London), 1991.
- Gallie, W. B., "Wanted: A Philosophy of International Relations", Political Studies, Vol.27, No.3, (September 1973), pp. 484-492.
- Gallie, W.B., "What Makes a Subject Scientific?", The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, Vol.8, No.30, (August 1957), pp. 118-139.