Simon Glendinning (born 1964) is an English philosopher. Glendinning is Professor of European Philosophy and Head of department in the European Institute at the

London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...

Academic career

Glendinning studied philosophy at the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

and at the

University of York The University of York (abbreviated as or ''York'' for Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a public Collegiate university, collegiate research university in York, England. Established in 1963, the university has expanded to more than thir ...

, since which he has held a series of positions: * 1993–1997: Lecturer, Department of Philosophy,

University of Kent The University of Kent (formerly the University of Kent at Canterbury, abbreviated as UKC) is a Collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom. The university was granted its roya ...

* 1997–2004: Senior Lecturer, Department of Philosophy,

University of Reading The University of Reading is a public research university in Reading, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1892 as the University Extension College, Reading, an extension college of Christchurch College, Oxford, and became University College, ...

* 2004–2013: Reader in European Philosophy, European Institute, LSE * 2014–present: Professor of European Philosophy, European Institute, LSE

Philosophical work

Glendinning's work is characterised by the way in which it engages with thinkers and themes from both the 'analytic' and 'continental' traditions in philosophy. His first book, ''On Being With Others: Heidegger-Wittgenstein-Derrida'', is an analysis of the

problem of other minds The problem of other minds is a Philosophy, philosophical problem traditionally stated as the following Epistemology, epistemological question: "Given that I can only observe the behavior of others, how can I know that others have minds?" The pr ...

. His later writings are largely concerned with the phenomenological tradition in philosophy. ''In the Name of Phenomenology'' is a detailed study of that tradition. ''The Idea of Continental Philosophy'' is a critique of the contemporary division between ‘analytic’ and ‘continental’ philosophy, and argues that phenomenological philosophy, in particular, should not be conceived as an exclusively ‘continental’ tradition. In 2011 he published ''Derrida: A Very Short Introduction''. However, most of his work since 2007 has involved a turn from European Philosophy towards the Philosophy of Europe. In 2021 he published a two-volume study in the Philosophy of Europe, entitled ''Europe: A Philosophical History''. In January 2015, Glendinning was a guest on

BBC Radio 4 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 spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

's '' In Our Time'', which discussed

phenomenology Phenomenology may refer to: Art * Phenomenology (architecture), based on the experience of building materials and their sensory properties Philosophy * Phenomenology (Peirce), a branch of philosophy according to Charles Sanders Peirce (1839� ...

Family

His father was the

Goya Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; ; 30 March 1746 – 16 April 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His paintings, drawings, an ...

specialist, Nigel Glendinning. His mother is the author, Victoria Glendinning. He is the youngest of four brothers. The eldest, Paul Glendinning, is a mathematician at the

University of Manchester The University of Manchester is a public university, public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester city centre, Manchester City Centre on Wilmslow Road, Oxford Road. The University of Manchester is c ...

. The second is the photographer, Hugo Glendinning and the third is a sports journalist, Matthew Glendinning. He lives in

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 ...

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...

with his wife, the writer Anjali Joseph.

Published books

Glendinning has authored and edited the following books: ;As author *2021: ''Europe: A Philosophical History, Part 1. The Promise of Modernity'', Abingdon:

Routledge Routledge ( ) is a British multinational corporation, multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, academic journals, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanit ...

*2021: ''Europe: A Philosophical History, Part 2. Beyond Modernity'', Abingdon:

*2011: ''Derrida: A Very Short Introduction'', Oxford:

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...

*2007: ''In the Name of Phenomenology'', Abingdon:

*2006: ''Author, The Idea of Continental Philosophy'', Edinburgh:

Edinburgh University Press Edinburgh University Press is a scholarly publisher of academic books and journals, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. History Edinburgh University Press was founded in the 1940s and became a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Edinburgh ...

*1998: ''On Being with Others: Heidegger-Derrida-Wittgenstein'', London:

;As editor *2008: ''Derrida's Legacies: Literature and Philosophy'', Abingdon: Routledge, (with Robert Eaglestone, includes essay as "Preface") *2001: ''Arguing with Derrida'', Oxford: Blackwell, (including essay: "Inheriting Philosophy: The Case of Austin and Derrida") *1999: ''The Edinburgh Encyclopædia of Continental Philosophy'', Edinburgh: EUP, (including introduction: "What is Continental Philosophy")

References

External links

LSE home page
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Glendinning, Simon 1964 births Living people Place of birth missing (living people) 21st-century English philosophers Alumni of the University of Oxford Alumni of the University of York Academics of the University of Kent Academics of the University of Reading Academics of the London School of Economics Continental philosophers Derrida scholars Deconstruction