By Tony Cheng
In Memorial of Paul F. Snowdon
Paul Snowdon began his academic journey as an undergraduate at University College, Oxford, where he was mentored by Sir. Peter Strawson. He later served as a tutorial fellow at Exeter College, Oxford, from 1971 to 2001. Following this, he held the Grote Professorship of Mind and Logic at University College London until his retirement in 2015.
Snowdon was widely recognised for his significant contributions to metaphysics. His intellectual pursuits also extended into the philosophy of mind, language, and the development of twentieth-century Anglo-American philosophy. His work offered profound insights into the concepts of personhood and selfhood, as well as the intricate connections between perception, action, and practical knowledge. Many of his influential essays have been collected in Persons, Animals, Ourselves (2014) and Essays on Perceptual Experience (2024), with the help of Stephan Blatti.
Attending one of Paul’s lectures, talks, or seminars was to see philosophical thinking unfold in real time—he approached questions with fresh curiosity and a deliberate, thoughtful pace. His careful method invited his audiences into the philosophical process, turning spectators into participants. Over the decades, he inspired generations of students to think deeply and philosophically.
In addition to his scholarly excellence, Paul was a generous and thoughtful colleague and teacher. His modesty and deep curiosity were evident in all his interactions. He had a gift for making philosophy engaging and accessible, and he offered steadfast support to his students. His teaching left a lasting mark on numerous philosophers from the 1970s through the 2010s
The above materials were partially based on the flowing sources:
Department of Philosophy, University College London
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/philosophy/news/2022/aug/memoriam-paul-snowdon
Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford: https://www.philosophy.ox.ac.uk/article/in-memoriam-paul-snowdon
Exeter College, Oxford:
https://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/remembering-emeritus-fellow-in-philosophy-prof-paul-snowdon