John Joseph Haldane (born 19 February 1954) is a British philosopher, commentator and broadcaster. He is a former papal adviser to the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Geography * Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy * Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City * Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome * Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...

. He is credited with coining the term '

analytical Thomism Analytical Thomism is a philosophical movement which promotes the interchange of ideas between the thought of Thomas Aquinas (including the philosophy carried on in relation to his thinking, called 'Thomism'), and modern analytic philosophy. It ...

' and is himself a Thomist in the analytic tradition. Haldane is associated with The Veritas Forum and is the current chair of the

Royal Institute of Philosophy The Royal Institute of Philosophy, founded in 1925, is a charitable organisation that holds and funds lectures and events on philosophical topics. It publishes two journals and offers grant programmes as part of its mission to share philosophica ...

. Haldane is Vice President of the

Catholic Union of Great Britain The Catholic Union of Great Britain is an association of Roman Catholic laypeople in England, Wales, and Scotland. It works with the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Scotland. The member ...

Education

Haldane attended Hamilton Park School, John Ogilvie Hall Preparatory School and St Aloysius' College,

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

. Later he studied at the Kent Institute of Art & Design (now the University for the Creative Arts) in

Rochester, Kent Rochester ( ) is a town in the unitary authority of Medway, in Kent, England. It is at the lowest bridging point of the River Medway, about east-southeast of London. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Chatham, Kent, Chatham, ...

, and the Wimbledon School of Art (now Wimbledon College of Arts, University of the Arts London) for a BA in fine art in 1975. He received a BA in philosophy from

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' ...

of the

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 ...

in 1980; a PGCE from the London University Institute of Education in 1976; and a PhD in philosophy from Birkbeck College in 1984. He holds honorary degrees from

Saint Anselm College Saint Anselm College is a private Benedictine liberal arts college in Goffstown, New Hampshire, United States. Founded in 1889, it is named after Saint Anselm of Canterbury. As of 2024, the college's enrollment was 2,094 students. History ...

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

, United States, from the

University of Glasgow The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals; ) is a Public university, public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the List of oldest universities in continuous ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, and from University of Notre Dame Australia. He was named one of Scotland's "Brights" in a list of the 50 top Scottish intellectuals, artists, lawyers, scientists, etc. (''Herald Magazine'', 2001).

Family

Haldane spent his childhood in Glasgow, and subsequently studied in Rochester and London. In 1980 he was married to his wife Hilda at

Westminster Cathedral Westminster Cathedral, officially the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Precious Blood, is the largest Catholic Church in England and Wales, Roman Catholic church in England and Wales. The shrine is dedicated to the Blood of Jesus Ch ...

. They have four children; Kirsty (b. 1988), James (b. 1990), Alice (b. 1992) and John (b. 1994).

Career

He has been a visiting lecturer in the School of Architecture of the

University of Westminster The University of Westminster is a public university, public university based in London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1838 as the Royal Polytechnic Institution, it was the first Polytechnic (United Kingdom), polytechnic to open in London. The Po ...

, at the Medical School of the University of Dundee, at the

University of Malta The University of Malta (, UM, formerly UOM) is a higher education institution in Malta. It offers undergraduate bachelor's degrees, postgraduate master's degrees and postgraduate doctorates. It is a member of the European University Association, ...

, at the Thomistic Institute at the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...

, at the

University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen (abbreviated ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; ) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was founded in 1495 when William Elphinstone, Bis ...

, at

Denison University Denison University is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Granville, Ohio, United States. One of the earliest colleges established in the former Northwest Territory, Denison University was founded in 1831. It was first called ...

, at the University of St. Thomas, at The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, and the Institute for the Psychological Sciences. He held the Royden Davis Chair of Humanities at

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...

, and delivered the Gifford Lectures at the

in 2003–04, and the Joseph Lectures at the Gregorian University in Rome. He was appointed to the

University of St Andrews The University of St Andrews (, ; abbreviated as St And in post-nominals) is a public university in St Andrews, Scotland. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest of the four ancient universities of Scotland and, f ...

in 1983 where he held a lectureship and a readership. He was subsequently University Professor in Philosophy from 1994 to 2015. From 1988 to 2000 and from 2002 to the present he has been Director of the University Centre for Ethics, Philosophy and Public Affairs. In addition, he has held fellowships at the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of seventeen undergraduate and graduate schools and colle ...

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

St John's College, Oxford St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded as a men's college in 1555, it has been coeducational since 1979.Communication from Michael Riordan, college archivist Its foun ...

, Social Philosophy and Policy Center,

Bowling Green State University Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is a Public university, public research university in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The main academic and residential campus is south of Toledo, Ohio. The university has nationally recognized progr ...

and at the Centre for the Study of Sculpture in

Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan counties of England, metropolitan and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and De ...

. Since 2015, he has held the J. Newton Rayzor Sr. Distinguished Chair in Philosophy at

Baylor University Baylor University is a Private university, private Baptist research university in Waco, Texas, United States. It was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Te ...

Cultural and artistic interests

Haldane has simultaneously pursued a career in the cultural sphere. He is a regular contributor to renowned publications including ''

The Burlington Magazine ''The Burlington Magazine'' is a monthly publication that covers the fine and decorative arts of all periods. Established in 1903, it is the longest running art journal in the English language. It has been published by a charitable organisation s ...

'', '' Modern Painters'', ''Tate'' and '' Art Monthly''.

Television work

The majority of Haldane's television work is for the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

, including ''

The Big Questions ''The Big Questions'' was an interfaith dialogue and ethics television programme usually presented by Nicky Campbell. It was broadcast live on BBC One on Sunday mornings, replacing ''The Heaven and Earth Show'' as the BBC's religious discussion ...

'' on nuclear armament. He has contributed to a number of programmes including '' The Heart of the Matter: God Under the Microscope'', ''

Newsnight ''Newsnight'' is the BBC's news and current affairs programme, providing in-depth investigation and analysis of the stories behind the day's headlines. It is broadcast weeknights at 10:30 on BBC Two and the BBC News channel; it is also avail ...

'', and ''Twenty Four Hours''. He has also produced work for ITV and PBS.

Newspapers

In addition to his former position as a regularly contributing columnist, Haldane has offered opinions and contributed articles to periodicals including ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'', ''

Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was foun ...

'', ''

The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact (newspaper), compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', ''The Herald'', '' Sunday Herald'', ''

Mail on Sunday ''The Mail on Sunday'' is a British conservative newspaper, published in a tabloid format. Founded in 1982 by Lord Rothermere, it is the biggest-selling Sunday newspaper in the UK. Its sister paper, the ''Daily Mail'', was first published i ...

'', ''

Daily Mail The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily Middle-market newspaper, middle-market Tabloid journalism, tabloid conservative newspaper founded in 1896 and published in London. , it has the List of newspapers in the United Kingdom by circulation, h ...

'', ''

Daily Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first ...

'', ''

Contemporary Review ''The Contemporary Review'' is a British biannual, formerly quarterly, magazine. It has an uncertain future as of 2013. History The magazine was established in 1866 by Alexander Strahan and a group of intellectuals intent on promoting their v ...

'' and ''Economist Information Strategy''.

Radio broadcasts

Haldane's radio work includes contributions to the following stations: * BBC Radio Three: ''Nightwaves'', ''The Brains Trust'', ''Concert Intermission Talks'' *

BBC Radio Four BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of Talk radio, spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at B ...

: ''Afternoon Shift'', ''In Our Time'', ''Moral Maze'', ''Today Programme'', ''Start the Week'', and ''Sunday Programme''. *

BBC Radio Scotland BBC Radio Scotland is a Scottish national radio network owned and operated by BBC Scotland, a division of the BBC. It broadcasts a wide variety of programmes. It replaced the Scottish BBC Radio 4 opt-out service of the same name from 23 N ...

: ''Benchmark'', ''Colin Bell Programme'', ''Colin McKay Programme'', ''Good Morning Scotland'', ''Personal Touch'', ''Realms of Engagement'', ''Speaking Out'', ''Thought for the Day'', ''The Usual Suspects'' and ''Values Added''. *

BBC World Service The BBC World Service is a British Public broadcasting, public service broadcaster owned and operated by the BBC. It is the world's largest external broadcaster in terms of reception area, language selection and audience reach. It broadcas ...

: ''Agenda'', ''Matter for Debate'', ''Newsround'', and ''The World Today''. *

ABC (Australia) The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal Public broadcasting, public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the Australian Government, federal government and is administered by a government ...

: ''Late Night Live'', and ''National Breakfast Programme'' * USA Public Service Radio

Fellowships

Royal Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, commonly known as the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), is a learned society that champions innovation and progress across a multitude of sectors by fostering creativity, s ...

, London (Fellow, 1995). *

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was establis ...

, (Fellow, 1995). * St Anselm College, NH (Hon. LLD, 1997). *

, (Hon. D.Litt., 2008). * The

Witherspoon Institute The Witherspoon Institute is a social Conservatism in the United States, conservative think tank in Princeton, New Jersey founded in 2003 by Princeton University professor Robert P. George, Luis Tellez, and others involved with the James Madison ...

, Princeton, New Jersey (Senior Fellow).The Witherspoon Institute
* KHS: Ordo Equestris Sancti Sepulchri Hierosolymitani

Publications and others

* Listed by Blackwell in its 'Tomorrow's Classics' leaflet. * * * * * *

Co-edited works

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

References

External links

St Andrews UniversityHaldane's University pageThe Veritas Forum: John Haldane
{{DEFAULTSORT:Haldane, John Joseph 1954 births Living people John Joseph Alumni of the University for the Creative Arts Alumni of Birkbeck, University of London Analytic philosophers Analytic theologians 21st-century Scottish philosophers Academics of the University of St Andrews Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Catholic philosophers Scottish Roman Catholics University of Notre Dame faculty Scottish historians of philosophy People educated at St Aloysius' College, Glasgow Scottish columnists Alumni of Wimbledon College of Arts British philosophers of religion Analytical Thomists Witherspoon Institute