The Garrard and the Newton

--- by JLS
------ for the GC

WHEN WE STUDY the history of Oxford philosophy, Antony Garrard Newton Flew figures large.

You'll wonder about the "Garrard Newton". Flew belonged to this generation (like Grice, old fashioned) where philosophers had to go by 'initials': H. P. Grice, A. G. N. Flew. I was (and am) always fascinated by a man who has three letters like that. In the case of H. P. it's just two, but they are normal names alright: Herbie, and Pauly. But what about the Garrard and the Newton? I expect people will inform us.

It's possibly always bad manners to display what an initial stands for unless in the obituary. So expect a lot of "Antony Garrard Newton Flew" (in that order) in the press-to-come. And we will be told that it was his family names. But in England, anything is legally a name (unlike Italy). So "Garrard" may not necessarily refer (and it won't) to Flew's MOTHER's family name. And "Newton" is originally a 'town' (New-Town) so it cannot be a name of a PERSON, but a toponym which signals that the Newtons came from Newton. Or not. The Garrard is possibly Anglo-Norman, like "Grice" -- (which means 'grey' in French).

Etc.