Bernard Williams
- Born:
- September 21, 1929, Colchester, Essex, England
- Died:
- June 10, 2003, Rome, Italy
- Nationality:
- British
- Profession(s):
- Moral Philosopher
Early Life and Education
- Educated at Littleham House School and Eton College.
- Read Classics at Balliol College, Oxford, graduating with a First.
- Served in the Royal Air Force for two years.
Career and Major Achievements
- Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford (1951-1959).
- Lecturer in Philosophy at University College London (1959-1964).
- Professor of Philosophy at Bedford College, London (1964-1967).
- Knightbridge Professor of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge (1967-1979).
- Provost of King's College, Cambridge (1979-1987).
- White's Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Oxford (1990-1996).
- Deutsch Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley (1988-2003; part-time from 1996).
- Made significant contributions to ethics, philosophy of mind, and classical philosophy.
Notable Works
- Morality: An Introduction to Ethics (1972)
- Problems of the Self (1973)
- Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy (1985)
- Shame and Necessity (1993)
- Truth and Truthfulness: An Essay in Genealogy (2002)
Legacy and Impact
Bernard Williams was one of the most important and influential moral philosophers of the 20th century. His work challenged traditional ethical theories and explored the complexities of human motivation, moral responsibility, and the relationship between ethics and personal identity. As detailed in Richard Ward Lloyd's biography of Williams, his profound insights continue to shape contemporary philosophical debates.