Customer Reviews

Philosopher A Kind Of Life

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While Honerich's book contains some interesting insights into the characters of the philosophers with whom he has come into contact, I find his constant bragging about how many undergraduates he has slept with rather off-putting. Far from being a confession of his exploitative behaviour, Honderich revels in his own skill at avoiding official censure for his actions at several universities (it is not difficult to see why he got on so famously with the late A. J. Ayer). Honderich has a reputation for being an intimidating opponent in debate, not because his arguments are particularly powerful but, because he bullys his adversaries into submission. He clearly carries this trait into his private life. The book does not leave one with much admiration for its author, in spite of his achievements in climbing the academic hierarchy. What I find in this book is yet another example of a misogynistic lecturer smugly reminiscing about how he got away with exploiting young women over whom he held academic power. This book is not particularly badly written but is not a heartening read.

Being a fan of the philosophy Honderich does, I admit to being dissapointed at the sort of re-telling his life has recieved. The clarity and knowledge that exist in his professional work are translated here...to the most tedious degree. One senses a Continental cloud descending as one attempts to remember the last page read. He was dating who? His colleague said what? The nerve...and the boredom. After reading the life of Ayer retold by another, I wonder if Ted should have waited for posthumous recollection. He seems to be leading the same life as his mentor, minus the dash. Proceed immediately to the last chapter and philosophical summary to retain your interest.

Honderich maintains an excellent web site, devoted to issues of determinism and the ravaging of his critics. I suggest you visit there instead of these pages...it's free.

I have read all of Philosopher: A Kind of Life, and have some away with mixed feelings, and a mixed evaluation. I think that the book does represent a life in all its messiness and tensions, something which may not appeal to analytic minds less worldly (or sensual, or interesting) than Honderich is. On the other hand, my general picture of the man himself is one of a man who has the virtue of honesty in spades, but this has left him short of some of the other virtues. His vanity, roving eye for the women, and academic ambitiousness left me cringing throughout the book, and I do not consider myself a moralizer. Above all, he is continuously rationalizing his behavior, and hoping that you take his side because 'at least he is being honest about it.' To potential readers I would say: a compelling read, though you will find yourself in a relationship with Ted, and you might find this unhealthy.

As someone who actually did have to suffer Professor Honderich's incomprehensible 'Introduction to Philosophy' morning lectures in my first term as an undergraduate in Philosophy at University College London during the early nineties, I thought it'd be interesting to read more about the man. I doubt he has any recollection of me, but I certainly remember his rambling lectures as he pranced around in his large 'Grote's room' at 19 Gordon Square in his corduroy suit and I tried not to fall asleep.

Professor Honderich is quite an intimidating fellow, or at least, he was to me back then, but his autobiography does present a side of him I never knew about. There's a little more humbleness here, some regrets, but admittedly, a fair share of arrogance and stubbornness too. Despite graduating, I still have a hard time getting my head around the professor's theories on determinism and philosophy of mind, but it's a tricky area of course. For someone who seems incredibly knowledgeable about causation, I'd have presumed Professor Honderich would understand that not wearing a condom could cause unwanted pregnancies, or sleeping with undergraduates could cause marriage failure.

Still, the Professor has lived his life as he believes it should be lived, will argue his position until the cows come home, got embroiled in some intriguing property lawsuits, and seems like he never really caused anyone any harm. A good man? I'm not sure. But certainly not a bad person either, simply a human with appetites and a brain full of thoughts.

Despite being overly fond of the word "discomfiture" and spending too much time weeping, "Philosopher, a Kind of Life" was still a reasonably enjoyable and insightful read, but mainly for his recollections of a UCL department and its staff of which I was at least a bit familiar. Your mileage may certainly vary.

Interestingly enough, this autobiography was completed before Honderich's controversial books/articles about terrorism after 9/11 and Palestine/Zionism issues. If anything, those have shown that there's certainly still life in the old dog yet.

I'll admit up front that I haven't read all of Honerich's memoir. But of the excerpts I've read, it has already become clear to me how misleading and shallow the "Publisher's Weekly" review (posted above) of this book is.

You might expect Honderich to discuss his life in a respectable and proud way. Not so. He is completely frank and detached from his own past behaviors--as he says, it is a kind of confession. Although more of the book is in passive voice, this does not make it less exciting. Quite the contrary.

Who else would, for no apparent reason other than that he thinks everything must be told, describe his one encounter with a prostitute, or his numerous relationships with women? Honderich also does a good job of describing how he beacame a philosopher, and the kind of life he leads as a professor of philosophy in the zany world of academia.

This book is not the usual kind of autobiography; it's much more than that, and it's a shame that "Publisher's Weekly" didn't take the time to realize this.

This is the self-biography of a narcisist but conscious and honest person, who as such must be prized. It is informative, reflexive, sensitive and very well-written, with some liric pages, as in the description of his trip to Irland, where he met his second wife. About his academic and judicial strugles, one can only regret the smallness of this kind of life. And about his sexual adventures with students, I suspect this was harmless for all, except for him. I've learned something by reading this book and I recomend.