This volume comprises a multidisciplinary study of the work of the important Scottish philosopher, John Macmurray (1891-1976). Macmurray held university posts in London and Edinburgh and exercised a wide influence through his many writings and BBC radio broadcasts. More recently, his work has come to prominence through his acknowledged influence on British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The essays in this collection are from a range of international scholars in the humanities and social sciences. In addition to a biographical introduction, they cover themes in philosophy, religion, political theory, psychology, and ethics. A comprehensive bibliography of Macmurray's publications is also included.
"John Macmurray occupied a distinctive place among British philosophers of the twentieth century. Most philosophers had moved into logical analysis, according to which philosophy has no subject-matter of its own, and its business is to analyze and criticize the thinking of scholars in other disciplines. Macmurray adhered to an older definition of philosophy, the love of wisdom, and believed that the philosopher had a responsibility to seek, both for himself or herself and others, deeper personal and social fulfillment. The publication of this volume shows that Macmurray's commitment to these themes is still influential." (John Macquarrie, University of Oxford)