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Cyril Edwin Mitchinson Joad (12 August 1891 – 9 April 1953) was an English
philosopher Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
, author, teacher and broadcasting personality. He appeared on ''
The Brains Trust ''The Brains Trust'' was an informational BBC radio and later television programme popular in the United Kingdom in the 1940s and 1950s, on which a panel of experts tried to answer questions sent in by the audience. History The series was crea ...
'', a
BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927. The service provides national radio stations cove ...
wartime discussion programme. He popularised philosophy and became a celebrity, before his downfall in a scandal over an unpaid train fare in 1948.


Early life

Joad was born in Durham, the only son of Edwin and Mary Joad (née Smith). In 1892 his father became an Inspector of Schools and the family moved to
Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
, where he received a very strict Christian upbringing. Joad started school at the age of five in 1896, attending Oxford Preparatory School (later called the
Dragon School The Dragon School is a private school across two sites in Oxford, England. The Dragon Pre-Prep (children aged 4–7) and Prep School (children aged 8–13) are both co-educational schools. The Dragon Prep School was founded in 1877 as the Oxfo ...
) until 1906, and then
Blundell's School Blundell's School is an Private schools in the United Kingdom, independent co-educational boarding school, boarding and Day school, day school in the English Public School (United Kingdom), public school tradition, located in Tiverton, Devon, T ...
, Tiverton, Devon, until 1910.


Balliol College

In 1910 Joad went up to
Balliol College Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world. With a governing body of a master and ar ...
,
Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
. Here he developed his skills as a philosopher and debater. By 1912 he was a first class sportsman and
Oxford Union The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to 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 unive ...
debater. He also became a
Syndicalist Syndicalism is a labour movement within society that, through industrial unionism, seeks to unionize workers according to industry and advance their demands through strikes and other forms of direct action, with the eventual goal of gainin ...
, a
Guild Socialist Guild socialism is an ideology and a political movement advocating workers' control of industry through the medium of trade-related guilds "in an implied contractual relationship with the public". It originated in the United Kingdom and was at ...
, and then a Fabian. In 1913 he heard about
George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...
through the newly founded magazine the ''
New Statesman ''The New Statesman'' (known from 1931 to 1964 as the ''New Statesman and Nation'') is a British political and cultural news magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first c ...
''. This developed his study of philosophy, one of the building blocks for his career as a teacher and broadcaster. After completing his course at Balliol, achieving a first in Honour Moderations in Literae Humaniores (1912), a first in Greats (a combination of philosophy and ancient history, 1914) and
John Locke John Locke (; 29 August 1632 (Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.) – 28 October 1704 (Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.)) was an English philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of the most influential of the Enlightenment thi ...
scholarship in mental philosophy (1914), Joad entered the
civil service The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil service personnel hired rather than elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leadership. A civil service offic ...
.


Civil service

Joad began at the
Board of Trade The Board of Trade is a British government body concerned with commerce and industry, currently within the Department for Business and Trade. Its full title is The Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council appointed for the consideration of ...
in 1914 after attending a Fabian Summer School. His aim was to infuse the civil service with a socialist ethos. Joad socialised with other Fabians like
Agnes Harben Agnes Helen Harben (née Bostock; 15 September 1879 – 29 October 1961) was a British suffragist leader who also supported the militant suffragette hunger strikers, and was a founder of the United Suffragists. Family Harben was born on 15 ...
and her husband, and was quoted on the experience of meeting
suffragette A suffragette was a member of an activist women's organisation in the early 20th century who, under the banner "Votes for Women", fought for the right to vote in public elections in the United Kingdom. The term refers in particular to members ...
s recovering from
hunger strike A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance where participants fasting, fast as an act of political protest, usually with the objective of achieving a specific goal, such as a policy change. Hunger strikers that do not take fluids are ...
mixing with the 'county set'. He worked in the Labour Exchanges Department of the Board of Trade, the department becoming the new Ministry of Labour in 1916. In the months leading up to the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
he displayed "ardent"
pacifism Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaigner Émile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress in Glasgow in 1901. A related term is ...
, which resulted in political controversy. Stanley J. Kunitz and Howard Haycraft, ''Twentieth Century Authors, A Biographical Dictionary of Modern Literature'', (Third Edition). New York, The H.W. Wilson Company, 1950, (p.p. 726-7) Joad, along with George Bernard Shaw and
Bertrand Russell Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970) was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, and public intellectual. He had influence on mathematics, logic, set theory, and various areas of analytic ...
, became unpopular with many who were trying to encourage men to enlist as soldiers to fight for their country.


Marriage

In May 1915 Joad married Mary White, and they bought a home in
Westhumble Westhumble is a village in South East England, south east England, approximately north of Dorking, Surrey. The village is not part of a civil parishes in England, civil parish, however the majority of the settlement is in the Parish (Church ...
, near
Dorking Dorking () is a market town in Surrey in South East England about south-west of London. It is in Mole Valley, Mole Valley District and the non-metropolitan district, council headquarters are to the east of the centre. The High Street runs ro ...
, in
Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...
. The village, formerly home to Fanny Burney, was near to the founder of the
Fabian Society The Fabian Society () is a History of the socialist movement in the United Kingdom, British socialist organisation whose purpose is to advance the principles of social democracy and democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist effort in ...
,
Beatrice Webb Martha Beatrice Webb, Baroness Passfield, (née Potter; 22 January 1858 – 30 April 1943) was an English sociology, sociologist, economist, feminism, feminist and reformism (historical), social reformer. She was among the founders of the Lo ...
. Joad evaded
conscription Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it conti ...
by fleeing to
Snowdonia Snowdonia, or Eryri (), is a mountainous region and National parks of the United Kingdom, national park in North Wales. It contains all 15 mountains in Wales Welsh 3000s, over 3000 feet high, including the country's highest, Snowdon (), which i ...
, Wales. After the birth of three children, Joad's marriage ended in separation in 1921. Joad later said that his separation had caused him to abandon his
feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...
and instead adopt a belief in the "inferior mind" of women.


Life after separation

After the separation Joad moved to
Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, England, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, located mainly in the London Borough of Camden, with a small part in the London Borough of Barnet. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsiz ...
in London with a student teacher, Marjorie Thomson. She was the first of many mistresses, all of whom were introduced as 'Mrs Joad'. He described sexual desire as "a buzzing bluebottle that needed to be swatted promptly before it distracted a man of intellect from higher things." He believed that female minds lacked objectivity, and he had no interest in women without sexual congress. Joad was "short and rotund, with bright little eyes, round, rosy cheeks, and a stiff, bristly beard." Job interviews proved a great difficulty for Joad, due to his flippancy. In 1930, he left the civil service to become Head of the Department of Philosophy and Psychology at
Birkbeck College Birkbeck, University of London (formally Birkbeck College, University of London), is a public research university located in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. Established in 1823 as the London Mechanics' ...
,
University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...
. The department was small and he made full use of his great teaching skills. He popularised philosophy, and many other
philosophers Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, value, mind, and language. It is a rational and critical inquiry that reflects on ...
were beginning to take him seriously. With his two books, ''Guide to Modern Thought'' (1933) and ''Guide to Philosophy'' (1936), he became a well-known figure.


1930s–1940s

In his early life Joad very much shared the desire for the destruction of the Capitalist system. He was expelled from the
Fabian Society The Fabian Society () is a History of the socialist movement in the United Kingdom, British socialist organisation whose purpose is to advance the principles of social democracy and democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist effort in ...
in 1925 because of sexual misbehaviour at its summer school, and did not rejoin until 1943. In 1931, disenchanted with Labour in office, Joad became Director of Propaganda for the New Party. Owing to the rise of
Oswald Mosley Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, 6th Baronet (16 November 1896 – 3 December 1980), was a British aristocrat and politician who rose to fame during the 1920s and 1930s when he, having become disillusioned with mainstream politics, turned to fascism. ...
's pro-Fascist sympathies, Joad resigned, along with John Strachey. Soon afterwards he became bitterly opposed to
Nazism Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During Hitler's rise to power, it was fre ...
, but he continued to oppose militarism and gave his support to
pacifist Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaigner Émile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress in Glasgow in 1901. A related term is ''a ...
organisations, including the No More War Movement and the
Peace Pledge Union The Peace Pledge Union (PPU) is a non-governmental organisation that promotes pacifism, based in the United Kingdom. Its members are signatories to the following pledge: "War is a crime against humanity. I renounce war, and am therefore determine ...
. While at Birkbeck College Joad played a leading role in The King and Country debate. The motion, devised by David Graham and debated on Thursday 9 February 1933, was "that this House will in no circumstances fight for its King and Country." The debate was often interpreted as illustrating both the attitude of Oxford undergraduates and the state of Europe at the time; Adolf Hitler had become Chancellor of Germany just ten days prior to the debate. Joad was the principal speaker in favour of the proposition, which passed by a vote of 275 to 153. Joad's speech was described as "well-organized and well-received, and probably the single most important reason for the outcome of the debate." Joad's part in the debate caused him to gain a public reputation as an absolute pacifist. Joad was also involved in the National Peace Council, which he chaired, 1937–38. Joad was an outspoken controversialist; he declared his main intellectual influences were
George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...
and
H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 – 13 August 1946) was an English writer, prolific in many genres. He wrote more than fifty novels and dozens of short stories. His non-fiction output included works of social commentary, politics, hist ...
. He was strongly critical of contemporary philosophical trends such as
Marxism Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflict, ...
,
Behaviorism Behaviorism is a systematic approach to understand the behavior of humans and other animals. It assumes that behavior is either a reflex elicited by the pairing of certain antecedent stimuli in the environment, or a consequence of that indivi ...
and
Psychoanalysis PsychoanalysisFrom Greek language, Greek: and is a set of theories and techniques of research to discover unconscious mind, unconscious processes and their influence on conscious mind, conscious thought, emotion and behaviour. Based on The Inte ...
. He was also repeatedly referred to as "the
Mencken Henry Louis Mencken (September 12, 1880 – January 29, 1956) was an American journalist, essayist, satirist, cultural critic, and scholar of American English. He commented widely on the social scene, literature, music, prominent politicians, ...
of England", although, as Kunitz and Haycraft pointed out, Joad and Mencken "would be at sword's point on most issues". On
aesthetics Aesthetics (also spelled esthetics) is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of beauty and taste (sociology), taste, which in a broad sense incorporates the philosophy of art.Slater, B. H.Aesthetics ''Internet Encyclopedia of Ph ...
he was incurably platonic: on listening to the "lowering effect" of
Debussy Achille Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influe ...
's music, he felt his "vitality and zest for life draining away";
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
and
swing music Swing music is a style of jazz that developed in the United States during the late 1920s and early 1930s. It became nationally popular from the mid-1930s. Swing bands usually featured soloists who would improvise on the melody over the arrangement ...
are "sounds which do not strictly belong to the class of music at all";
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" ''Un ...
's " A Refusal to Mourn the Death, by Fire, of a Child in London" was partly "meaningless... some of the allusions baffle the intellect";
symbolism Symbolism or symbolist may refer to: *Symbol, any object or sign that represents an idea Arts *Artistic symbol, an element of a literary, visual, or other work of art that represents an idea ** Color symbolism, the use of colors within various c ...
in art is "often used as a device... for disguising the fact that there is nothing to communicate", citing Denton Welch's "Narcissus Bay" as an example; and in her "persistent refusal to grade, to give moral marks or to assign values", he found
Virginia Woolf Adeline Virginia Woolf (; ; 25 January 1882 28 March 1941) was an English writer and one of the most influential 20th-century modernist authors. She helped to pioneer the use of stream of consciousness narration as a literary device. Vir ...
's work leaving him feeling that "nothing seems to be very much worth while". Joad's autobiography, ''Under the Fifth Rib'' included "The dominating interest of my University career, an interest which has largely shaped my subsequent outlook on life, was Socialism. And my Socialism was by no means the mere undergraduate pose which what I have said hitherto may have suggested. Admittedly I and my Socialist contemporaries talked a good deal of inflated nonsense; admittedly we played with theories as a child plays with toys from sheer intellectual exuberance. But we also did a considerable amount of hard thinking." Joad crusaded to preserve the English countryside against industrial exploitation, ribbon development, overhead cables and destructive tourism. He wrote letters and articles in protest against decisions being made to increase Britain's wealth and status, as he believed the short term status would bring long-term problems. He organised rambles and rode recklessly through the countryside. Joad was also associated with the fledgling
naturist Naturism is a lifestyle of practicing non-sexual social nudity in private and in public; the word also refers to the cultural movement which advocates and defends that lifestyle. Both may alternatively be called nudism. Though the two terms a ...
movement in England. He also had a passion for hunting. Hating the idea of nothing to do, Joad organised on average nine lectures per week and two books per year. His popularity soared and he was invited to give many lectures and lead discussions. He also involved himself in sporting activities such as tennis and
hockey ''Hockey'' is a family of List of stick sports, stick sports where two opposing teams use hockey sticks to propel a ball or disk into a goal. There are many types of hockey, and the individual sports vary in rules, numbers of players, apparel, ...
, and recreational activities such as
bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...
,
chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...
and the
player piano A player piano is a self-playing piano with a pneumatic or electromechanical mechanism that operates the piano action using perforated paper or metallic rolls. Modern versions use MIDI. The player piano gained popularity as mass-produced home ...
. He was a great conversationalist, and enjoyed entertaining distinguished members of society. After the outbreak of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
he became disgusted at the lack of
liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...
being shown (he was a founding vice-president of the
National Council for Civil Liberties Liberty, formerly, and still formally, called the National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL), is an advocacy group and membership organisation based in the United Kingdom, which challenges unjust laws, protects civil liberties and promotes huma ...
from 1934). He went as far as to beg the Ministry of Information to make use of him. In January 1940 Joad was selected for a BBC Home Service wartime discussion programme, ''The Brains Trust'', which was an immediate success, attracting millions of listeners. Shortly afterwards Joad abandoned his pacifism and placed his support behind the British war effort. Although Joad never reverted to pacifism, he actively supported at least one
conscientious objector A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of conscience or religion. The term has also been extended to objecting to working for the military–indu ...
during the war, leading to a pamphlet, ''The Present Position of Conscientious Objection'', published by the Central Board for Conscientious Objectors, 1944. Joad also opposed the continuation of conscription into peacetime, writing the pamphlet ''The Rational Approach to Conscription'', published by the No Conscription Council, 1947.


Psychical research

Joad was interested in the
paranormal Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. Not ...
, and partnered with
Harry Price Harry Price (17 January 1881 – 29 March 1948) was a British Parapsychologist, psychic researcher and author, who gained public prominence for his investigations into psychical phenomena and exposing fraudulent Spiritualism (movement), spiritu ...
on a number of ghost-hunting expeditions, also joining
the Ghost Club The Ghost Club is a paranormal investigation and research organization, founded in London in 1862. It is believed to be the oldest such organisation in the world, though its history has not been continuous. The club still investigates mainly gh ...
, of which Price became the president. He involved himself in psychical research, travelling to the
Harz Mountains The Harz (), also called the Harz Mountains, is a Mittelgebirge, highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The nam ...
to help Price to test whether the 'Bloksberg Tryst' would turn a male goat into a handsome prince at the behest of a maiden pure in heart; it did not. In 1934 he became Chairman of the University of London Council for Psychical Investigation, an unofficial committee formed by Price as a successor body to his National Laboratory of Psychical Research. In 1939, Joad's publications on psychical research were severely criticised in the ''Proceedings'' of the
Society for Psychical Research The Society for Psychical Research (SPR) is a nonprofit organisation in the United Kingdom. Its stated purpose is to understand events and abilities commonly described as psychic or paranormal. It describes itself as the "first society to condu ...
. It was discovered that Joad was not present at séances he had claimed to have attended. Price later suspended the operations of the council. Joad opposed the spiritualist hypothesis of
mediumship Mediumship is the practice of purportedly mediating communication between familiar spirits or ghost, spirits of the dead and living human beings. Practitioners are known as "mediums" or "spirit mediums". There are different types of mediumship or ...
. He debated the psychical researcher Shaw Desmond on spiritualism. He argued against immortality and spirit communication, preferring his "mindlet" hypothesis which held that bundle of ideas which were formerly regarded as the mind of the dead person may survive death for a temporal period of time. During the later years of his life he published articles on how
extrasensory perception Extrasensory perception (ESP), also known as a sixth sense, or cryptaesthesia, is a claimed paranormal ability pertaining to reception of information not gained through the recognized physical senses, but sensed with the mind. The term was ad ...
may fit into a Christian framework.


''The Brains Trust''

Joad's prominence came from ''
The Brains Trust ''The Brains Trust'' was an informational BBC radio and later television programme popular in the United Kingdom in the 1940s and 1950s, on which a panel of experts tried to answer questions sent in by the audience. History The series was crea ...
'', which featured a small group including Commander A. B. Campbell and
Julian Huxley Sir Julian Sorell Huxley (22 June 1887 – 14 February 1975) was an English evolutionary biologist, eugenicist and Internationalism (politics), internationalist. He was a proponent of natural selection, and a leading figure in the mid-twentiet ...
. His developed and matured discussion techniques, his fund of anecdotes and mild humour brought him to the attention of the general public. The programme came to deal with difficult questions posed by listeners, and the panellists would discuss the question in great detail, and render a philosophical opinion. Examples of the questions ranged from "What is the meaning of life?" to "How can a fly land upside-down on the ceiling?" Joad became a star of the show, his voice being the most heard on radio except for the news. Joad nearly always opened with the catchphrase "It all depends on what you mean by…" when responding to a question. Although there was opposition from
Conservatives Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilizati ...
, who complained about political bias, the general public considered him the greatest British philosopher of the day and celebrity status followed.


Rise and fall

As Joad had become so well known, he was invited to give after-dinner speeches, open bazaars, even advertise tea, and his book sales soared. He stood as a Labour candidate at a by-election in November 1946 for the
Combined Scottish Universities The Combined Scottish Universities was a three-member university constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 1950. It was created by merging the single-member constituencies of Glasgow and Aberd ...
constituency but lost. Joad once boasted in print, "I cheat the railway company whenever I can." On 12 April 1948 Joad was caught travelling on a Waterloo to Exeter train without a valid ticket. When he failed to give a satisfactory explanation, he was convicted of fare dodging and fined £2 (). This made front-page headlines in the national newspapers, destroyed his hopes of a
peerage A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes Life peer, non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted Imperial, royal and noble ranks, noble ranks. Peerages include: A ...
and resulted in his dismissal from the BBC. The humiliation of this had a severe effect on Joad's health, and he soon became confined to bed at his home in Hampstead. Joad renounced his agnosticism and returned to the Christianity of the Church of England, which he detailed in his book ''The Recovery of Belief'', published in 1952.


Death

After the bed-confining
thrombosis Thrombosis () is the formation of a Thrombus, blood clot inside a blood vessel, obstructing the flow of blood through the circulatory system. When a blood vessel (a vein or an artery) is injured, the body uses platelets (thrombocytes) and fib ...
following his dismissal from the BBC in 1948, Joad developed terminal cancer. He died on 9 April 1953 at his home, 4 East Heath Road, Hampstead, aged 61, and was buried at Saint John's-at-Hampstead Church in London.


Legacy

Joad was one of the best known British intellectuals of his time, as well known as
George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...
and
Bertrand Russell Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970) was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, and public intellectual. He had influence on mathematics, logic, set theory, and various areas of analytic ...
in his lifetime. He popularised philosophy, both in his books and by the spoken word. In spite of this, he was loathed by most academic philosophers, including Russell. Cambridge philosopher
Ludwig Wittgenstein Ludwig Josef Johann Wittgenstein ( ; ; 26 April 1889 – 29 April 1951) was an Austrian philosopher who worked primarily in logic, the philosophy of mathematics, the philosophy of mind, and the philosophy of language. From 1929 to 1947, Witt ...
once said, in a meeting where Joad had delivered a paper criticising the form of analytical philosophy popular at Cambridge, that "naturally a slum landlord would object to slum clearance". Quotes from Joad appear in
Virginia Woolf Adeline Virginia Woolf (; ; 25 January 1882 28 March 1941) was an English writer and one of the most influential 20th-century modernist authors. She helped to pioneer the use of stream of consciousness narration as a literary device. Vir ...
's monograph ''Three Guineas''. For example:
"If it is, then the sooner they give up the pretence of playing with public affairs and return to private life the better. If they cannot make a job of the House of Commons, let them at least make something of their own houses. If they cannot learn to save men from the destruction which incurable male mischievousness bids fair to bring upon them, let women at least learn to feed them, before they destroy themselves."
Joad was invited to appear at the Socratic Club, an undergraduate society at Oxford University, where he spoke on 24 January 1944, on the subject "On Being Reviewed by Christians", an event attended by more than 250 students. This was a stepping-stone in Joad's life, particularly at a time when he was re-examining his convictions. This re-examination eventually led to his return to the Christian faith of his youth, an event he mentioned in ''The Recovery of Belief''.
C. S. Lewis Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer, literary scholar and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Magdalen College, Oxford (1925–1954), and Magdalen ...
, President of the Socratic Club, is mentioned twice in this book, once as an influence on Joad through Lewis' book '' The Abolition of Man''. Part of his legacy, then, was to return to the faith that he had set aside as an Oxford undergraduate and to defend that faith in his writings. Joad is also mentioned in
Stephen Potter Stephen Meredith Potter (1 February 1900 – 2 December 1969) was a British writer best known for his parodies of self-help books, and their film and television derivatives. After leaving school in the last months of the First World War he wa ...
's book ''
Gamesmanship Gamesmanship is the use of dubious (although not technically illegal) methods to win or gain a serious advantage in a game or sport. It has been described as "Pushing the rules to the limit without getting caught, using whatever dubious methods p ...
'', as his partner in a tennis match in which the two men were up against two younger and fitter players who were outplaying them fairly comfortably, until Joad asked his opponent whether a ball that had clearly landed way behind the line was in or out; an event which Potter says made him start thinking about the concept of gamesmanship.


Selected publications

Joad wrote, introduced or edited over 100 books, pamphlets, articles and essays including the following.


Books

*
Robert Owen, Idealist
', London : Fabian Society abian Tracts, No. 182Fabian Biographical Series, No. 7] (1917) *''The Diary of a Dead Officer, Being the Posthumous papers of A.G. West'', ed. with intro, London : George Allen & Unwin (1918)
''Essays in Common-Sense Philosophy''
London : George Allen & Unwin (1919, 2nd ed., 1933) *
Samuel Butler, 1835-1902
', London: L. Parsons;, Small, Maynard and Company oadmaker Series(1924); reprinted: Freeport, NY, Books for Libraries Press elect Bibliographies Reprint Series(1969)
''Common Sense Ethics''
London : Methuen (1921)
''Common Sense Theology''
London : T. Fisher Unwin (1922)
''The Highbrows, A Novel''
London : Jonathan Cape ovels of To-day(1922) *
Diogenes, The Future of Leisure
', London : Kegan, Paul, Trench, Trubner ( To-day and To-morrow) (1928) *
Introduction to Modern Political Theory
', Oxford : The Clarendon Press he World's Manuals(1924) *''Priscilla and Charybdis, and Other Stories'', London : Herbert Jenkins (1924) *''Samuel Butler (1835–1902)'', London : Leonard Parsons and Boston: Small, Maynard and Company oadmaker Series(1924) *''The Mind and Its Place in Nature'', London : Kegan Paul, Trench, Tubner and Co., Ltd. (1925) *
Mind and Matter : The Philosophical Introduction to Modern Science
', London : Oxford University Press: Humphrey Milford (1925); reprinted London : Unwin Books (1963) *
After-Dinner Philosophy
', London : George Routledge & Sons (1926). Joint author: John Strachey. *
The Babbitt Warren
', London : Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co. (1926) - a satire on the United States *
The Bookmark
', London : The Labour Publishing Company (1926); repr. London : Westhouse (1945) *''Thrasymachus, The Future of Morals'', London : Kegan, Paul, Trench, Trubner (1928); rev. ed., London : Kegan Paul ( To-day and To-morrow) (1936); republished as
The Future of Morals
', London: John Westhouse (1946) *''The Future of Life : A Theory of Vitalism'', New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons (1928) *
The Meaning of Life As Shown in the Process of Evolution
', London : Watts & Co. orum Series(1928) *
Great Philosophies of the World
', London : Ernest Benn enn's Sixpenny Library(1928); repr. & rev., London : Thomas Nelson he Nelson Classics(1937)
''Matter, Life and Value''
London : Oxford University Press (1929)
''The Present and Future of Religion''
London : Ernest Benn (1930); reprinted: Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press (1974)
''Unorthodox Dialogues on Education and Art''
London : Ernest Benn (1930) *''The Case for the New Party'', London : New Party ew Party Broadcasts(c. 1931) *
The Story of Civilization
', London : A. & C. Black ow-&-Why Series(1931; 2nd ed., 1936) *''The Horrors of the Countryside'', London: The Hogarth Press ay to Day Pamphlets, No. 3(1931) *
What Fighting Means
', London : No More War Movement (ca. 1932)
''Philosophical Aspects of Modern Science''
London : George Allen & Unwin (1932); repr. London : George Allen & Unwin (1963) *''Under the Fifth Rib : A Belligerent Autobiography'', London : Faber & Faber (1932), retitled ''The Book of Joad'' (1935) *
Guide to Modern Thought
', London : Faber & Faber (1933); rev. & enlarged, London : Pan (1948) *
Counter Attack from the East : The Philosophy of Radhakrishnan
', London : George Allen & Unwin (1933) *
Is Christianity True? A Discussion between Arnold Lunn and C.E.M. Joad
', London: Eyre & Spottiswoode (1933) *''Insecurity in Arms'', London : National Peace Council, No. 8, rev. (1934) *
Liberty Today
', London : Watts & Co. he Thinker's Library(1934); rev. ed. (1938) *''Manifesto : Being the Book of the Federation of Progressive Societies and Individuals'', ed., London : George Allen & Unwin (1934) *
Return to Philosophy: Being a Defense of Reason, an Affirmation of Values and a Plea for Philosophy
', London : Faber & Faber (1935) *''Science and Human Freedom: The Seventh Annual Haldane Memorial Lecture'', London : Birkbeck College, University of London, (1935) *
Guide to Philosophy
', London : Victor Gollancz (1936); reprinted New York : Dover Publications (1957) *
The Dictator Resigns
', London : Methuen (1936) *
The Story of Indian Civilisation
', London : Macmillan (1936) *''"Defence" is No Defence'', London : National Peace Council (1937) *
The Testament of Joad
', London : Faber & Faber he Faber Library(1937)
''Guide to the Philosophy of Morals and Politics''
(1938) *
Guide to Modern Wickedness
', London: Faber & Faber (1939) *''How to Write, Think and Speak Correctly'', ed., London : Odhams (1939) *
Why War?
', Harmondsworth : Penguin enguin Specials(1939) *
For Civilization
', London : Macmillan acmillan War Pamphlets(1940) *
Journey Through the War Mind
', London : Faber & Faber (1940; 2nd ed. 1942)
''Philosophy For Our Times''
London : Thomas Nelson & Sons (1940) *''The Philosophy of Federal Union'', London : Macmillan (1941) *
What Is at Stake, and Why Not Say So?
', London : Victor Gollancz ictory Books, 8(1941) *
An Old Countryside for New People
', London and Letchworth : J. M. Dent & Sons esign for Britain series(1942)
''God and Evil''
London : Faber & Faber (1942) *
Pieces of Mind
', London : Faber & Faber (1942) *
The Adventures of the Young Soldier in Search of the Better World... With drawings by Mervyn Peake
', London : Faber & Faber (1943). *
Philosophy
', London : English Universities Press each Yourself Books(1944) *''The Present Position of Conscientious Objection'', London : Central Board for Conscientious Objectors (May 1944)
''About Education''
London : Faber & Faber (1945) *
Opinions
', London : Westhouse (1945) *
Introduction To Modern Philosophy
', Oxford : Clarendon Press (1946) *''Conditions of Survival'', London : Federal Union (1946) *''How Our Minds Work'', London : Westhouse (1946)
''The Untutored Townsman's Invasion of the Country''
London : Faber & Faber (1946) *''The Rational Approach to Conscription'', London : No Conscription Council amphlet Series, No. 7(1947) *
Decadence : A Philosophical Inquiry
', London: Faber & Faber (1948) *
A Year More or Less
', London : Victor Gollancz (1948) *
Decadence : A Philosophical Inquiry
', London : Faber & Faber (1948) *
An Introduction To Contemporary Knowledge
', London : E. J. Arnold (1948) *''The English Counties, Illustrated'', London : Odhams (1948; new ed., 1957) *
Shaw : His Influence upon English Life and Thought
', London : Victor Gollancz (1949) *''The Principles of Parliamentary Democracy'', London : Falcon Press orum Books(1949) *
A Critique of Logical Positivism
', London : Gollancz (1950); Chicago : University of Chicago Press (1950) *
The Pleasure of Being Oneself
', London : George Weidenfeld & Nicolson (1951); Freeport, NY : Books for Libraries Press ssay Index Reprint Series(1970) *
A First Encounter with Philosophy : An Introduction Especially Designed for Young Men and Women
', London : James Blackwood (1952; 1953)
Recovery of Belief : A Restatement of Christian Philosophy''
London: Faber & Faber (1952) *''Shaw and Society : An Anthology and a Symposium'', ed., London : Odhams (1953) *''Folly Farm'' osthumous London : Faber & Faber (1954)


Articles and essays

*"Monism in the Light of Recent Developments in Philosophy", in: ''Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society'', N.S. 17 (1916–17)
"The Idea of Public Right"
in: ''The Idea of Public Right, Being the First Four Prize Essays in Each of the Three Divisions of The Nation Essay Competition''. With an introd. by H.H. Asquith", London : George Allen & Unwin (1918), pp. 95–140 * "A Realist Philosophy of Life", in: ''Contemporary British Philosophy, Second Series'', ed. J.H. Muirhead, London : George Allen & Unwin uirhead Library of Philosophy(1925) * "Philosophy and Aldous Huxley", in: ''The Realist'', 1: 4 (1929) * "The Advocacy of Peace", in: ''The Twentieth Century'', Vol. 5, No. 39, (July 1933) * "The End of an Epoch", in: ''New Statesman & Nation'', London (8 December 1934) * "The Challenge to Reason", in: ''The Rationalist Annual'', London : The Rationalist Press (1935) * "The Return of Dogma", in: ''The Rationalist Annual'', London : The Rationalist Press (1936) *"On Pain, Death, and the Goodness of God", in: ''The Rationalist Annual'', London : The Rationalist Press (1937) *"On Useless Education", in: ''The Rationalist Annual'', London : The Rationalist Press (1939) *"Principles of Peace", in: ''The Spectator'', London (16 August 1940; repr. ''Articles of War : The Spectator Book of World War II'', ed. F. Glass & P. Marsden-Smedley, London : Paladin Grafton Books, 1989, 119–22) *"The Face of England", in: ''Horizon'', V, London (29 May 1942) *"Man's Superiority to the Beasts : Liberty Versus Security in the Modern State", in: ''Freedom of Expression'', ed. H. Ould, London : Hutchinson International Authors Ltd. (1944)PEN (Organization): An Inventory of Its Records at the Harry Ransom Center
utexas.edu. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
*"Walking in the Country", in: ''England is a Garden : Not a Garden City'', John Betjeman, ed., London: Countrygoer Books ountrygoer Books(1944) *"On Thirty Years of Going to the Lakes", in: ''Countrygoer Book'', ed. C. Moore, London : Countrygoer Books (1944) *"The Virtue of Examinations", in: ''New Statesman & Nation'', London (11 March 1944; reply to objections, 25 March) *"Fewer and Better" opulation in: ''London Forum'', I : 1, London (1946) *"On No Longer Being A Rationalist", in: ''The Rationalist Annual'', London : C.A. Watts & Co. (1946) *"Introduction", in: J.C. Flugel,
Population, Psychology, and Peace
', London : Watts & Co. he Thinker's Library(1947) *"Foreword", in: Clare & Marshall Brown, ''Fell Walking from Wasdale'', London : The Saint Catherine Press (1948) *"Turning-Points", in: ''The Saturday Book'', ed. L. Russell, London : Hutchinson (1948)


References


Further reading

* * * Hill, Robert
Philosophy for All: C.E.M. Joad, The Philosopher and the General Public
''The Philosopher'', Volume LXXXIV, No. 2, Autumn 1995. * Johnston, J. F., Jr.
C.E.M. Joad, Richard Weaver and the Decline of Western Civilization
''Modern Age'', 8 October 2014 * Judge, Tony, ''Radio Philosopher: The Radical Life of Cyril Joad'', (2012) * Martin, Kingsley, 'Cyril Joad', ''New Statesman and Nation'', London : 18 April 1953 * Martin, Kingsley ''Editor : A Volume of Autobiography 1931–1945'', (London: Hutchinson 1968), esp. pp. 135–9 * Plant, Kathryn. L, 'Joad, Cyril Edwin Mitchinson (1891–1953)', in ''The Dictionary of Twentieth-Century British Philosophers'', ed. Stuart Brown, (Thoemmes Continuum, Bristol 2005), vol. I, pp. 480–482 * Symonds, Richard

''The Philosopher'', Volume CIII, No. 1, 2015. * Thomas, Geoffrey ''Cyril Joad'', (Birkbeck College Publication 1992) *


External links

* *

at
Spartacus Educational Spartacus Educational is a free online encyclopedia with essays and other educational material on a wide variety of historical subjects, principally the struggle for equality and democracy as part of British history from 1700 and the history of ...
- biography and quotations from ''Under the Fifth Rib''
Walk the Joadian Way

C. E. M. Joad - Making Britain
- biographical notes, detailed bibliography, and discussion of his admiration for Indian civilisation and for Gandhi
British Movietone interview with Joad
on the theme "Will civilisation crash?"
C. E. M. Joad
at
British Pathé British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and cultur ...
- "Joad at home, playing hockey and giving lecture at Birkbeck College"
The Great Train Ticket Scandal of 1948
{{DEFAULTSORT:Joad, Cyril Edwin Mitchinson 1891 births 1953 deaths 20th-century English philosophers 20th-century English memoirists Academics of Birkbeck, University of London Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford Analytic philosophers Anglican philosophers English anti-war activists British naturists Burials at St John-at-Hampstead English Anglicans Labour Party (UK) parliamentary candidates British parapsychologists People educated at Blundell's School People educated at The Dragon School World federalist activists Members of the Men's League for Women's Suffrage (United Kingdom) English anti-fascists Converts to Anglicanism from atheism or agnosticism Deaths from cancer in England