Bryan Magee
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Bryan Edgar Magee (; 12 April 1930 – 26 July 2019) was a British philosopher, broadcaster, politician and author, best known for bringing philosophy to a popular audience.


Early life

Born of working-class parents in
Hoxton Hoxton is an area in the London Borough of Hackney, England. As a part of Shoreditch, it is often considered to be part of the East End – the historic core of wider East London. It was historically in the county of Middlesex until 1889. It l ...
, London, in 1930, within a few hundred yards of where his paternal grandparents were born, Magee was brought up in a flat above the family clothing shop, where he shared a bed with his elder sister, Joan. He was close to his father but had a difficult relationship with his abusive and overbearing mother. He was evacuated to
Market Harborough Market Harborough is a market town in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England, in the far southeast of the county, forming part of the border with Northamptonshire. Market Harborough's population was 25,143 in 2020. It is the adm ...
in Leicestershire, during World War II, but when he returned to London, much of Hoxton had been bombed flat. Magee was educated at
Christ's Hospital Christ's Hospital is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 11–18) with a royal charter located to the south of Horsham in West Sussex. The school was founded in 1552 and received its first royal charter in 1553. ...
school on a
London County Council London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today kn ...
scholarship. During this formative period, he developed a keen interest in socialist politics, while during the school holidays he enjoyed listening to political orators at
Speakers' Corner A Speakers' Corner is an area where open-air public speaking, debate, and discussion are allowed. The original and best known is in the northeast corner of Hyde Park in London, England. Historically there were a number of other areas desig ...
, Hyde Park, London, as well as regular visits to the theatre and concerts. During his
National Service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The ...
he served in the
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...
, in the Intelligence Corps, seeking possible spies among the refugees crossing the border between
Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label= Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavij ...
and
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
. After
demobilisation Demobilization or demobilisation (see spelling differences) is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and milit ...
he won a scholarship to
Keble College, Oxford 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 ...
, where he studied History as an undergraduate and then Philosophy, Politics and Economics in one year. His friends at Oxford included
Robin Day Sir Robin Day (24 October 1923 – 6 August 2000) was an English political journalist and television and radio broadcaster. Day's obituary in ''The Guardian'' by Dick Taverne stated that he was "the most outstanding television journalist of ...
,
William Rees-Mogg William Rees-Mogg, Baron Rees-Mogg (14 July 192829 December 2012) was a British newspaper journalist who was Editor of '' The Times'' from 1967 to 1981. In the late 1970s, he served as High Sheriff of Somerset, and in the 1980s was Chairman of t ...
,
Jeremy Thorpe John Jeremy Thorpe (29 April 1929 – 4 December 2014) was a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament for North Devon from 1959 to 1979, and as leader of the Liberal Party from 1967 to 1976. In May 1979 he was tried at the ...
and
Michael Heseltine Michael Ray Dibdin Heseltine, Baron Heseltine, (; born 21 March 1933) is a British politician and businessman. Having begun his career as a property developer, he became one of the founders of the publishing house Haymarket. Heseltine served ...
. While at university, Magee was elected president of the
Oxford Union The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford England, whose membership is drawn primarily from the University of Oxford. Founded in 1823, it is one of Britain's oldest ...
. He later became an honorary fellow at Keble College. At Oxford, Magee had mixed with poets as well as politicians and in 1951 published a volume of verse through the Fortune Press. The publisher did not pay its writers and expected them to buy a certain number of copies themselves – a similar deal had been struck with such writers as
Dylan Thomas Dylan Marlais Thomas (27 October 1914 – 9 November 1953) was a Welsh poet and writer whose works include the poems " Do not go gentle into that good night" and " And death shall have no dominion", as well as the "play for voices" ''Und ...
and
Philip Larkin Philip Arthur Larkin (9 August 1922 – 2 December 1985) was an English poet, novelist, and librarian. His first book of poetry, ''The North Ship'', was published in 1945, followed by two novels, ''Jill'' (1946) and ''A Girl in Winter'' (1947 ...
for their first anthologies. The slim volume was dedicated to the memory of
Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
, with a quote from Rilke's ''
Duino Elegies The ''Duino Elegies'' (german: Duineser Elegien) are a collection of ten elegies written by the Bohemian-Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke. He was then "widely recognized as one of the most lyrically intense German-language poets", and began t ...
'': ''... das Schöne ist nichts als des Schrecklichen Anfang, den wir noch grade ertragen'' ("... beauty is nothing but the beginning of terror, that we are still able to bear"). Magee said later: "I'm rather ashamed of the poems now, although I have written poems since which I haven't published, which I secretly think are rather good. It has always been a dimension of what I do." (Later he would also publish fiction, including a
spy novel Spy fiction is a genre of literature involving espionage as an important context or plot device. It emerged in the early twentieth century, inspired by rivalries and intrigues between the major powers, and the establishment of modern intelligen ...
''To Live in Danger'' in 1960 and then a long work ''Facing Death.'' The latter, initially composed in the 1960s but not published until 1977, would be shortlisted for an award by ''
The Yorkshire Post ''The Yorkshire Post'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper, published in Leeds in Yorkshire, England. It primarily covers stories from Yorkshire although its masthead carries the slogan "Yorkshire's National Newspaper". It was previously owned by ...
''). In 1955 he began a year studying philosophy at
Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the w ...
on a postgraduate fellowship. He had expected to hate America but found that he loved it. His deep admiration of the country's equality of opportunity was expressed in a swift series of books, ''Go West, Young Man'' (1958), ''The New Radicalism'' (1963) and ''The Democratic Revolution'' (1964).


Politician

Magee returned to Britain with hopes of becoming a Labour Member of Parliament (MP). He twice stood unsuccessfully for Mid Bedfordshire, at the 1959 general election and the 1960 by-election, and instead took a job presenting the ITV current affairs television programme '' This Week''. He made documentary programmes about subjects of social concern such as prostitution,
sexually transmitted diseases Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, and oral ...
, abortion and homosexuality (illegal in Britain at the time). Interviewed in 2003, Magee said:
British society was illiberal in a number of areas that are now taken for granted...
Roy Jenkins Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead, (11 November 1920 – 5 January 2003) was a British politician who served as President of the European Commission from 1977 to 1981. At various times a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Lab ...
changed them and he was bitterly opposed by the Tories. But if you were liberal with a small L there was a menu of social change and I believed very strongly in that whole liberal agenda.
He was eventually elected MP for
Leyton Leyton () is a town in east London, England, within the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It borders Walthamstow to the north, Leytonstone to the east, and Stratford to the south, with Clapton, Hackney Wick and Homerton, across the River L ...
at the February 1974 general election, but from 1981 found himself out of tune with the Labour Party's direction under
Michael Foot Michael Mackintosh Foot (23 July 19133 March 2010) was a British Labour Party politician who served as Labour Leader from 1980 to 1983. Foot began his career as a journalist on ''Tribune'' and the ''Evening Standard''. He co-wrote the 1940 p ...
. On 22 January 1982 he resigned the Labour whip and in March joined the defection of
centrist Centrism is a political outlook or position involving acceptance or support of a balance of social equality and a degree of social hierarchy while opposing political changes that would result in a significant shift of society strongly to the ...
Labour MPs to the newly founded
Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...
. He lost his seat at the 1983 general election. Magee returned to writing and broadcasting which, indeed, he had continued during his parliamentary career and would also serve on various boards and committees. He notably resigned as chairman of the Arts Council music panel in 1994 in protest at funding cuts. He also returned to scholarship at Oxford, first as a fellow at Wolfson, then at New College. He also found more time to write classical music reviews and worked on his own compositions. He admitted that, while his own work was "whistleable", it was also "inherently sentimental". Interviewed in 2003, Oxford contemporary
William Rees-Mogg William Rees-Mogg, Baron Rees-Mogg (14 July 192829 December 2012) was a British newspaper journalist who was Editor of '' The Times'' from 1967 to 1981. In the late 1970s, he served as High Sheriff of Somerset, and in the 1980s was Chairman of t ...
recalled "we never knew which way Bryan would jump. And as his life later demonstrated, there was always a question of whether he was basically at heart an intellectual or someone interested in public life. So it wasn't a surprise that he went into public life, but the intellectual was really the predominant element in his personality and the books seemed to represent the real Bryan more than the political activity did."


Broadcaster and writer


Interviews with philosophers

Magee's most important influence in popular culture were his efforts to make philosophy accessible to the layman. In 1970–71 he presented a series for
BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also featuring. The sta ...
entitled ''Conversations with Philosophers''. The series took the form of Magee in conversation with a number of contemporary British philosophers, discussing both their own work, and the work of earlier 20th-century British philosophers. The series began with an introductory conversation between Magee and
Anthony Quinton Anthony Meredith Quinton, Baron Quinton, FBA (25 March 192519 June 2010) was a British political and moral philosopher, metaphysician, and materialist philosopher of mind. He served as President of Trinity College, Oxford from 1978 to 1987; a ...
. Other programmes included discussions on
Bertrand Russell Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970) was a British mathematician, philosopher, logician, and public intellectual. He had a considerable influence on mathematics, logic, set theory, linguistics, a ...
, G. E. Moore and
J. L. Austin John Langshaw Austin (26 March 1911 – 8 February 1960) was a British philosopher of language and leading proponent of ordinary language philosophy, perhaps best known for developing the theory of speech acts. Austin pointed out that we u ...
,
Ludwig Wittgenstein Ludwig Josef Johann Wittgenstein ( ; ; 26 April 1889 – 29 April 1951) was an Austrian- British philosopher who worked primarily in logic, the philosophy of mathematics, the philosophy of mind, and the philosophy of language. He is consi ...
, and the relationship between philosophy and religion, among others. Extracts of each of the conversations were printed in '' The Listener'' shortly after broadcast. And extensively revised versions of all the discussions would be made available in the 1971 book ''Modern British Philosophy''.
Karl Popper Sir Karl Raimund Popper (28 July 1902 – 17 September 1994) was an Austrian-British philosopher, academic and social commentator. One of the 20th century's most influential philosophers of science, Popper is known for his rejection of the ...
would appear in the series twice and Magee would soon after write an introductory book on his philosophy that was first published in 1973. In 1978 Magee presented 15 dialogues with noted philosophers for
BBC Television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios from 193 ...
in a series called '' Men of Ideas''. This was a series that, as noted in ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...
,'' "achieved the near-impossible feat of presenting to a mass audience recondite issues of philosophy without compromising intellectual integrity or losing ratings" and "attracted a steady one million viewers per show." Following an "Introduction to Philosophy", presented by Magee in discussion with
Isaiah Berlin Sir Isaiah Berlin (6 June 1909 – 5 November 1997) was a Russian-British social and political theorist, philosopher, and historian of ideas. Although he became increasingly averse to writing for publication, his improvised lectures and talks ...
, Magee discussed topics like
Marxist philosophy Marxist philosophy or Marxist theory are works in philosophy that are strongly influenced by Karl Marx's materialist approach to theory, or works written by Marxists. Marxist philosophy may be broadly divided into Western Marxism, which drew fro ...
, the
Frankfurt School The Frankfurt School (german: Frankfurter Schule) is a school of social theory and critical philosophy associated with the Institute for Social Research, at Goethe University Frankfurt in 1929. Founded in the Weimar Republic (1918–1933), dur ...
, the ideas of
Noam Chomsky Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American public intellectual: a linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky i ...
and modern
Existentialism Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and val ...
in subsequent episodes. During the broadcast run, edited shorter versions of the discussions were published weekly in '' The Listener'' magazine. Extensively revised versions of the dialogues within the ''Men of Ideas'' series (which featured
Iris Murdoch Dame Jean Iris Murdoch ( ; 15 July 1919 – 8 February 1999) was an Irish and British novelist and philosopher. Murdoch is best known for her novels about good and evil, sexual relationships, morality, and the power of the unconscious. Her ...
) were originally published in a book of the same name that is now sold under the title of ''Talking Philosophy''. DVDs of the series are sold to academic institutions with the title ''Contemporary Philosophy.'' Neither this series nor its 1987 'sequel' are available for purchase by home users but most of the episodes are freely available on
Youtube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
. Another BBC television series, '' The Great Philosophers'', followed in 1987. In this series, Magee discussed the major historical figures of Western philosophy with fifteen contemporary philosophers. The series covered the philosophies of
Plato Plato ( ; grc-gre, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institution ...
,
Aristotle Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of ...
, and Descartes, among others, including a discussion with
Peter Singer Peter Albert David Singer (born 6 July 1946) is an Australian moral philosopher, currently the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University. He specialises in applied ethics and approaches ethical issues from a secular ...
on the philosophy of
Marx Karl Heinrich Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist, critic of political economy, and socialist revolutionary. His best-known titles are the 1848 ...
and
Hegel Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (; ; 27 August 1770 – 14 November 1831) was a German philosopher. He is one of the most important figures in German idealism and one of the founding figures of modern Western philosophy. His influence extends a ...
, and ending with a discussion with
John Searle John Rogers Searle (; born July 31, 1932) is an American philosopher widely noted for contributions to the philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, and social philosophy. He began teaching at UC Berkeley in 1959, and was Willis S. and Mari ...
on the philosophy of Wittgenstein. Extensively revised versions of the dialogues were published in a book of the same name that was published that same year. Magee's 1998 book ''The Story of Thought'' (also published as ''The Story of Philosophy'') would also cover the history of Western philosophy. Between the two series, Magee released the first edition of the work he regarded as closest to his "academic magnum opus": ''The Philosophy of Schopenhauer'' (first published in 1983, substantially revised and extended, 1997). This remains one of the most substantial and wide-ranging treatments of the thinker and assesses in-depth
Schopenhauer Arthur Schopenhauer ( , ; 22 February 1788 – 21 September 1860) was a German philosopher. He is best known for his 1818 work ''The World as Will and Representation'' (expanded in 1844), which characterizes the phenomenal world as the pr ...
's influence on Wittgenstein,
Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
and other creative writers. Magee also addresses Schopenhauer's thoughts on homosexuality and the influence of
Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
on his thought.


Later work and interest in Wagner

In 1997 Magee's ''Confessions of a Philosopher'' was published. This essentially offered an introduction to philosophy in autobiographical form. The book was involved in a libel lawsuit as a result of Magee repeating the rumour that Ralph Schoenman, a controversial associate of Bertrand Russell during the philosopher's final decade, had been planted by the
CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
in an effort to discredit Russell. Schoenman successfully sued Magee for libel in the UK, with the result that the first printing of the British edition of the book was pulped. A second defamation suit, filed in California against
Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...
, was settled in 2001. The allegations were expunged by settlement, and a new edition was issued and provided to more than 700 academic and public libraries. In ''Confessions of a Philosopher'', Magee charts his own philosophical development in an autobiographical context. He also emphasizes the importance of Schopenhauer's philosophy as a serious attempt to solve philosophical problems. In addition to this, he launches a critique of
analytic philosophy Analytic philosophy is a branch and tradition of philosophy using analysis, popular in the Western world and particularly the Anglosphere, which began around the turn of the 20th century in the contemporary era in the United Kingdom, United ...
, particularly in its linguistic form over three chapters, contesting its fundamental principles and lamenting its influence. Magee had a particular interest in the life, thought and music of
Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
and wrote two notable books on the composer and his world, ''Aspects of Wagner'' (1968; rev. 1988), and ''The Tristan Chord: Wagner and Philosophy'' (2001). In ''Aspects of Wagner'' Magee "outlines the range and depth of Wagner's achievement, and shows how his sensational and erotic music expresses the repressed and highly charged contents of the psyche. He also examines Wagner's detailed stage directions, and the prose works in which he formulated his ideas, and sheds interesting new light on his
anti-semitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...
." The revised edition includes a fresh chapter on "Wagner as Music". In 2016, approaching his 86th birthday, Magee had his book ''Ultimate Questions'' published by
Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
. Writing in ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'',
Julian Baggini Julian Baggini (; born 1968) is a philosopher, journalist and the author of over 20 books about philosophy written for a general audience. He is co-founder of ''The Philosophers' Magazine'' and has written for numerous international newspapers ...
said "Magee doesn't always match his clarity of expression with rigour of argument, sometimes ignoring his own principle that the feeling 'Yes, surely this must be right' is 'not a validation, not even a credential'. But this can be excused.
Plato Plato ( ; grc-gre, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institution ...
and
Aristotle Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of ...
claimed that philosophy begins with wonder. Magee is proof that for some, the wonder never dies, it only deepens." In 2018 Magee, who was then living in one room in a nursing hospital in Oxford, was interviewed by Jason Cowley of ''
New Statesman The ''New Statesman'' is a British political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney and Beatrice Webb and other leading members ...
'' and discussed his life and his 2016 book ''Ultimate Questions''. Magee said that he believed he lacked originality and, until ''Ultimate Questions'', had struggled to make an original contribution to philosophy, saying:
Popper had this originality, Russell had it, and
Einstein Albert Einstein ( ; ; 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born Theoretical physics, theoretical physicist, widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time. Einstein is best known for d ...
had it in spades. Einstein created a way of seeing things which transformed the way we see the world and the way we even understand such fundamental things as time and space. And I fundamentally understand that I could never do that, never. I wish I was in that class – not because I want to be a clever chap but because I want to do things that are at a much better level than I've done them.
He explained that he followed the news and politics closely and that he considered the vote for Brexit to have been a "historic mistake".


Personal life

In 1953, Magee was appointed to a teaching job in Sweden and while there met Ingrid Söderlund, a
pharmacist A pharmacist, also known as a chemist (Commonwealth English) or a druggist (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), is a healthcare professional who prepares, controls and distributes medicines and provides advice and instructi ...
in the university laboratory. They married and had one daughter, Gunnela and, in time, three grandchildren. Magee later said:
The marriage broke up pretty quickly and it was a fairly disastrous period of my life. I came back to Oxford as a postgraduate. But since then Sweden has been a part of my life. I go there every year and my daughter visits me. I always assumed that sooner or later I'd get married again but it never quite happened, although I had some very long relationships. And now I don't want to get married again. I like the freedom.
His memoir, ''Clouds of Glory: A Hoxton Childhood'', won the
J. R. Ackerley Prize for Autobiography PEN Ackerley Prize (or, J. R. Ackerley Prize for Autobiography) is awarded annually by English PEN for a literary autobiography of excellence, written by an author of British nationality and published during the preceding year. The winner receiv ...
in 2004.


Death

Magee died on 26 July 2019, at the age of 89, at St Luke's Hospital in
Headington Headington is an eastern suburb of Oxford, England. It is at the top of Headington Hill overlooking the city in the Thames valley below, and bordering Marston to the north-west, Cowley to the south, and Barton and Risinghurst to the east. ...
, Oxford. He is survived by his Swedish daughter Gunnela and her children and grandchildren. His funeral took place on 15 August. The last of Magee's books to be published during his lifetime – ''Making the Most of It'' (2018) – closes: A celebration of his life was held in the chapel of Keble College, Oxford, on 29 October 2019. The event was opened by Sir Jonathan Phillips, Warden of Keble College, and was introduced by Magee's executor, the academic, author and editor
Henry Hardy Henry Robert Dugdale Hardy (born 15 March 1949) is a British academic, author and editor. Career Hardy was born in London in 1949 and educated at Lancing College, where his contemporaries included Christopher Hampton and Tim Rice. He went ...
. It included audio and video clips of Magee, music chosen by him and played by the Amherst Sextet, and addresses by
David Owen David Anthony Llewellyn Owen, Baron Owen, (born 2 July 1938) is a British politician and physician who served as Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs as a Labour Party MP under James Callaghan from 1977 to 1979, and later ...
and
Simon Callow Simon Phillip Hugh Callow (born 15 June 1949) is an English film, television and voice actor, director, narrator and writer. He was twice nominated for BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his roles in ''A Room with a View'' (19 ...
. The music choices were the sextet from Strauss's '' Capriccio'', the largo from Elgar's '' Serenade for Strings'' and the prelude to Wagner's ''
Tristan und Isolde ''Tristan und Isolde'' (''Tristan and Isolde''), WWV 90, is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the 12th-century romance Tristan and Iseult by Gottfried von Strassburg. It was comp ...
''. The addresses by Owen and Callow were published together with a notice of Magee's life by Hardy in the ''Oldie''.


Filmography


Television

* '' Men of Ideas'' (BBC, 1978), host * ''Thinking Aloud'' (1984–1985), host * '' The Great Philosophers'' (BBC, 1987), host


Bibliography


Books

(Som
available for loan
on
Open Library Open Library is an online project intended to create "one web page for every book ever published". Created by Aaron Swartz, Brewster Kahle, Alexis Rossi, Anand Chitipothu, and Rebecca Malamud, Open Library is a project of the Internet Archive, ...
) *''Crucifixion and Other Poems'', 1951, Fortune Press, ASIN: B0039UQCKK *''Go West, Young Man'', Eyre And Spottiswoode, 1958, *''To Live in Danger'', Hutchinson, 1960 (softcover Random House ) *
The New Radicalism
', Secker & Warburg, 1962, ASIN B0006D7RZW *
The Democratic Revolution
', Bodley Head, 1964, *
Towards 2000: The world we make
', Macdonald & Co, 1965, ASIN B0000CMK0Y *'' One in Twenty: A Study of Homosexuality in Men and Women'', Stein and Day, 1966. (later published as '' The Gays Among Us'') *''The Television Interviewer'', Macdonald, 1966, ASIN B0000CN1D4 *
Aspects of Wagner
', Secker and Warburg, 1968; rev. 2nd ed, 1988, Oxford University Press, 1988, *
Modern British Philosophy
', Secker and Warburg, 1971, ; Oxford University Press, vailable_for_loan_on_ vailable_for_loan_on_Internet_Archive">Internet_Archive.html"_;"title="vailable_for_loan_on_Internet_Archive">vailable_for_loan_on_Internet_Archive*
Karl_Popper
',_Penguin,_1973,__(Viking_Press,_;_also_titled_''Popper'',_and_later_titled_''Philosophy_and_the_Real_World,''_1985) *''Facing_Death'',_William_Kimber_&_Co._Ltd.,_1977,_ *
Men_of_Ideas:_Some_Creators_of_Contemporary_Philosophy
',_Oxford_University_Press,_1978__(later_titled_''Talking_Philosophy:_Dialogues_With_Fifteen_Leading_Philosophers'') *
The_Philosophy_of_Schopenhauer
',_Oxford_University_Press,_1983_(revised_and_expanded,_1997),_
*
The_Great_Philosophers:_An_Introduction_to_Western_Philosophy
',_BBC_Books_1987,_Oxford_University_Press,_2000,_
*''iarchive:onblindnesslette0000mage.html" ;"title="Internet_Archive.html" ;"title="Internet_Archive.html" ;"title="vailable for loan on vailable_for_loan_on_Internet_Archive">Internet_Archive.html"_;"title="vailable_for_loan_on_Internet_Archive">vailable_for_loan_on_Internet_Archive*
Karl_Popper
',_Penguin,_1973,__(Viking_Press,_;_also_titled_''Popper'',_and_later_titled_''Philosophy_and_the_Real_World,''_1985) *''Facing_Death'',_William_Kimber_&_Co._Ltd.,_1977,_ *
Men_of_Ideas:_Some_Creators_of_Contemporary_Philosophy
',_Oxford_University_Press,_1978__(later_titled_''Talking_Philosophy:_Dialogues_With_Fifteen_Leading_Philosophers'') *
The_Philosophy_of_Schopenhauer
',_Oxford_University_Press,_1983_(revised_and_expanded,_1997),_
*
The_Great_Philosophers:_An_Introduction_to_Western_Philosophy
',_BBC_Books_1987,_Oxford_University_Press,_2000,_
*''iarchive:onblindnesslette0000mage">On_Blindness:_Letters_between_Bryan_Magee_and_Martin_Milligan'',_Oxford_University_Press,_1996,__(also_published_as_''Sight_Unseen'',_Phoenix_House,_1998,_) *''iarchive:confessionsofphi0000mage.html" ;"title="Internet Archive">vailable for loan on Internet_Archive.html"_;"title="vailable_for_loan_on_Internet_Archive">vailable_for_loan_on_Internet_Archive*
Karl_Popper
',_Penguin,_1973,__(Viking_Press,_;_also_titled_''Popper'',_and_later_titled_''Philosophy_and_the_Real_World,''_1985) *''Facing_Death'',_William_Kimber_&_Co._Ltd.,_1977,_ *
Men_of_Ideas:_Some_Creators_of_Contemporary_Philosophy
',_Oxford_University_Press,_1978__(later_titled_''Talking_Philosophy:_Dialogues_With_Fifteen_Leading_Philosophers'') *
The_Philosophy_of_Schopenhauer
',_Oxford_University_Press,_1983_(revised_and_expanded,_1997),_
*
The_Great_Philosophers:_An_Introduction_to_Western_Philosophy
',_BBC_Books_1987,_Oxford_University_Press,_2000,_
*''iarchive:onblindnesslette0000mage">On_Blindness:_Letters_between_Bryan_Magee_and_Martin_Milligan'',_Oxford_University_Press,_1996,__(also_published_as_''Sight_Unseen'',_Phoenix_House,_1998,_) *''iarchive:confessionsofphi0000mage">Confessions_of_a_Philosopher'',_Random_House,_1997,_reprinted_1998,_ *
The_Story_of_Thought:_The_Essential_Guide_to_the_History_of_Western_Philosophy
',_The_Quality_Paperback_Bookclub,_1998,__(later_title
''The_Story_of_Philosophy''
_2001,_) *
Wagner_and_Philosophy
',_Penguin,_2001,__(also_published_as_''The_Tristan_Chord:_Wagner_and_Philosophy'',_Owl_Books,_2001_) *
Clouds_of_Glory
',_Pimlico,_2004,_ *''iarchive:growingupinwar0000mage.html" ;"title="Internet Archive">Internet_Archive.html" ;"title="vailable for loan on Internet Archive">vailable for loan on Internet Archive*
Karl Popper
', Penguin, 1973, (Viking Press, ; also titled ''Popper'', and later titled ''Philosophy and the Real World,'' 1985) *''Facing Death'', William Kimber & Co. Ltd., 1977, *
Men of Ideas: Some Creators of Contemporary Philosophy
', Oxford University Press, 1978 (later titled ''Talking Philosophy: Dialogues With Fifteen Leading Philosophers'') *
The Philosophy of Schopenhauer
', Oxford University Press, 1983 (revised and expanded, 1997), *
The Great Philosophers: An Introduction to Western Philosophy
', BBC Books 1987, Oxford University Press, 2000, *''iarchive:onblindnesslette0000mage">On Blindness: Letters between Bryan Magee and Martin Milligan'', Oxford University Press, 1996, (also published as ''Sight Unseen'', Phoenix House, 1998, ) *''iarchive:confessionsofphi0000mage">Confessions of a Philosopher'', Random House, 1997, reprinted 1998, *
The Story of Thought: The Essential Guide to the History of Western Philosophy
', The Quality Paperback Bookclub, 1998, (later title
''The Story of Philosophy''
2001, ) *
Wagner and Philosophy
', Penguin, 2001, (also published as ''The Tristan Chord: Wagner and Philosophy'', Owl Books, 2001 ) *
Clouds of Glory
', Pimlico, 2004, *''iarchive:growingupinwar0000mage">Growing up in a War'', Pimlico, 2007, *''Ultimate Questions'', Princeton University Press, 2016, *''Making the Most of It'', Studio 28, 2018,


Journal articles

At JSTOR – free to read online with registration: *
Richard Wagner Died 13 February 1883. Producing a New 'Ring'
' ''
The Musical Times ''The Musical Times'' is an academic journal of classical music edited and produced in the United Kingdom and currently the oldest such journal still being published in the country. It was originally created by Joseph Mainzer in 1842 as ''Mainzer ...
'', vol. 124, no. 1680, 1983, pp. 86–89. Peter_Hall.html"_;"title="Peter_Hall_(director).html"_;"title="nterview_with_Peter_Hall_(director)">Peter_Hall">Peter_Hall_(director).html"_;"title="nterview_with_Peter_Hall_(director)">Peter_Hall*_
Schopenhauer_and_Professor_Hamlyn
'_'' Peter_Hall.html"_;"title="Peter_Hall_(director).html"_;"title="nterview_with_Peter_Hall_(director)">Peter_Hall">Peter_Hall_(director).html"_;"title="nterview_with_Peter_Hall_(director)">Peter_Hall*_
Schopenhauer_and_Professor_Hamlyn
'_''Philosophy_(journal)">Philosophy_ Philosophy_(from_,_)_is_the_systematized_study_of_general_and_fundamental_questions,_such_as_those_about__existence,__reason,__knowledge,__values,__mind,_and__language._Such_questions_are_often_posed_as_problems_to_be_studied_or_resolved.__...
'',_vol._60,_no._233,_1985,_pp. 389–391._ *_
A_Note_on_J._L._Austin_and_the_Drama
''_''Philosophy'',_vol._74,_no._287,_1999,_pp. 119–121. *_
What_I_Believe
'_''Philosophy'',_vol._77,_no._301,_2002,_pp. 407–419..
''Philosophy's_Neglect_of_the_Arts''
''Philosophy'',_vol._80,_no._313,_2005,_pp. 413–422._
''The_Secret_of_Tristan_and_Isolde''
''Philosophy'',_vol._82,_no._320,_2007,_pp. 339–346._
''Intimations_of_Mortality''
''Philosophy'',_vol._86,_no._335,_2011,_pp. 31–39.


__References_


_External_links


__Obituaries_

*
Bryan_Magee_–_Obituary
'_by_Henry_Hardy_ Henry_Robert_Dugdale_Hardy_(born_15_March_1949)_is_a_British_academic,_author_and_editor. __Career_ Hardy_was_born_in_London_in_1949_and_educated_at__Lancing_College,_where_his_contemporaries_included_Christopher_Hampton_and_Tim_Rice._He_went__...
_for_[
Peter_Hall.html"_;"title="Peter_Hall_(director).html"_;"title="nterview_with_Peter_Hall_(director)">Peter_Hall">Peter_Hall_(director).html"_;"title="nterview_with_Peter_Hall_(director)">Peter_Hall*_
Schopenhauer_and_Professor_Hamlyn
'_''Philosophy_(journal)">Philosophy_ Philosophy_(from_,_)_is_the_systematized_study_of_general_and_fundamental_questions,_such_as_those_about__existence,__reason,__knowledge,__values,__mind,_and__language._Such_questions_are_often_posed_as_problems_to_be_studied_or_resolved.__...
'',_vol._60,_no._233,_1985,_pp. 389–391._ *_
A_Note_on_J._L._Austin_and_the_Drama
''_''Philosophy'',_vol._74,_no._287,_1999,_pp. 119–121. *_
What_I_Believe
'_''Philosophy'',_vol._77,_no._301,_2002,_pp. 407–419..
''Philosophy's_Neglect_of_the_Arts''
''Philosophy'',_vol._80,_no._313,_2005,_pp. 413–422._
''The_Secret_of_Tristan_and_Isolde''
''Philosophy'',_vol._82,_no._320,_2007,_pp. 339–346._
''Intimations_of_Mortality''
''Philosophy'',_vol._86,_no._335,_2011,_pp. 31–39.


__References_


_External_links


__Obituaries_

*
Bryan_Magee_–_Obituary
'_by_Henry_Hardy_ Henry_Robert_Dugdale_Hardy_(born_15_March_1949)_is_a_British_academic,_author_and_editor. __Career_ Hardy_was_born_in_London_in_1949_and_educated_at__Lancing_College,_where_his_contemporaries_included_Christopher_Hampton_and_Tim_Rice._He_went__...
_for_Wolfson_College,_Oxford">Wolfson_College_(26_July_2019) *
Bryan_Magee,_author,_broadcaster,_MP_and_academic_with_an_unsurpassed_ability_to_render_complex_philosophical_ideas_easily_digestible
_The_Daily_Telegraph.html" "title="olfson_College,_Oxford.html" ;"title="Philosophy_(journal).html" "title="Peter_Hall_(director)">Peter_Hall.html" ;"title="Peter_Hall_(director).html" ;"title="nterview with Peter Hall (director)">Peter Hall">Peter_Hall_(director).html" ;"title="nterview with Peter Hall (director)">Peter Hall*
Schopenhauer and Professor Hamlyn
' ''Philosophy (journal)">Philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. ...
'', vol. 60, no. 233, 1985, pp. 389–391. *
A Note on J. L. Austin and the Drama
'' ''Philosophy'', vol. 74, no. 287, 1999, pp. 119–121. *
What I Believe
' ''Philosophy'', vol. 77, no. 301, 2002, pp. 407–419..
''Philosophy's Neglect of the Arts''
''Philosophy'', vol. 80, no. 313, 2005, pp. 413–422.
''The Secret of Tristan and Isolde''
''Philosophy'', vol. 82, no. 320, 2007, pp. 339–346.
''Intimations of Mortality''
''Philosophy'', vol. 86, no. 335, 2011, pp. 31–39.


References


External links


Obituaries

*
Bryan Magee – Obituary
' by
Henry Hardy Henry Robert Dugdale Hardy (born 15 March 1949) is a British academic, author and editor. Career Hardy was born in London in 1949 and educated at Lancing College, where his contemporaries included Christopher Hampton and Tim Rice. He went ...
for Wolfson College, Oxford">Wolfson College (26 July 2019) *
Bryan Magee, author, broadcaster, MP and academic with an unsurpassed ability to render complex philosophical ideas easily digestible
The Daily Telegraph">The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are popular names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia, publ ...
'' (26 July 2019)''.''
''Bryan Magee, Who Brought Philosophy to British TV, Dies at 89''
Obituary by Palko Karasz for ''The New York Times'' (28 July 2019)
''Bryan Magee: 1930–2019—the champion of philosophical wonderment''
Obituary by
Julian Baggini Julian Baggini (; born 1968) is a philosopher, journalist and the author of over 20 books about philosophy written for a general audience. He is co-founder of ''The Philosophers' Magazine'' and has written for numerous international newspapers ...
for ''
Prospect Prospect may refer to: General * Prospect (marketing), a marketing term describing a potential customer * Prospect (sports), any player whose rights are owned by a professional team, but who has yet to play a game for the team * Prospect (minin ...
'' (29 July 2019)
''Obituary: Bryan Magee, MP, presented philosophy programme on Television and Wagner authority''
'' The Herald'' (10 August 2019) *
OBITUARY: Bryan Magee, ex-Oxford Union president and BBC presenter
' by James Roberts for ''
The Oxford Times ''The Oxford Times'' is a weekly newspaper, published each Thursday in Oxford, England. Originally a broadsheet, it switched to the compact format in 2008. The paper is published from a large production facility at Osney Mead, west Oxford, ...
'' (15 August 2019) *
Bryan Magee, philosopher, writer and broadcaster
1930–2019'' by Jonathan Derbyshire for the ''
Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...
'' (17 August 2019)


Further resources

*
Sense and nonsense
Prospect'' magazine article by Bryan Magee (2009) * * *Extracts of
Homosexuals
' (1964) and
Lesbians
' (1965) posted on
Youtube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
by the
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

Photograph of Magee
by Sijmen Hendriks, Amsterdam, 2011
"Philosophy: Bryan Magee"
from ''Free Thinking'',
BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also featuring. The sta ...
, 2016
Bryan Magee: a tribute
. by David Herman for ''TheArticle''. (26 July 2019) {{DEFAULTSORT:Magee, Bryan 1930 births 2019 deaths Alumni of Keble College, Oxford Analytic philosophers British ethicists British logicians 20th-century British philosophers British cultural critics Epistemologists Fellows of Balliol College, Oxford Historians of philosophy Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Metaphysicians Moral philosophers Opera critics Ontologists People educated at Christ's Hospital People from Hoxton Philosophers of culture Philosophers of education Philosophers of ethics and morality Philosophers of history Philosophers of logic Philosophers of mind Philosophy writers Political philosophers Presidents of the Oxford Union Social Democratic Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies British social commentators Social critics Social philosophers UK MPs 1974 UK MPs 1974–1979 UK MPs 1979–1983 Presidents of the Critics' Circle Wagner scholars