H. Paul Grice and E. Jonathan Lowe

Speranza

E. Jonathan Lowe was born in Dover, England, on 24th March 1950, and died on January 5th 2014.

Lowe went to Cambridge to read Natural Sciences in 1968.

However, Lowe changed to History after one year and was awarded a BA (first class) in 1971.

After that, Lowe switched to Philosophy and moved, rightly, to Oxford, where he was awarded his BPhil and DPhil degrees in 1974 and 1975, supervised by the Australian-born philosopher Romano Harré and Simon W. Blackburn -- formerly of Pembroke) respectively.

After a brief period teaching at Reading, Lowe joins the Department of Philosophy at Durham (in Durhamshire, as Speranza likes to say) in 1980, where he stayed for the rest of his career.

Lowe was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1990 and to Reader in 1992.

Finally, he was promoted to Professor in 1995.

During his time at Durham, Lowe established himself as one of the world’s leading philosophers, publishing twelve single-authored books, four co-edited collections and well over 200 articles in journals and edited volumes.

We may need a checklist!

And a cross-reference:

Lowe and Grice.
Keywords: H. P. Grice, E. J. Lowe.

Lowe's scholarship was strikingly broad, ranging from Early Modern P hilosophy through to the interpretation of quantum mechanics.

Lowe's most important and sustained contributions were to philosophy of mind, philosophical logic and especially metaphysics.

Lowe adopted what he called a "realist" conception of metaphysics as an autonomous discipline concerned with the fundamental structure of reality, as exemplified by his important book The Possibility of Metaphysics (OUP, 1998).

This may relate to Jones's and Speranza's adventures, respectively, in Carnapland and Griceland.

Metaphysics, Lowe maintains, should take common sense as its starting point, while at the same time acknowledging that aspects of common sense will need to be revised or abandoned.

I'm sure Grice would agree, but we are never sure about Carnap!

Metaphysics, Lowe adds, should also retain a healthy respect for science but resist what after Grice we may call the Devil of Scientism, for the role of metaphysics is to illuminate features of reality that empirical scientific enquiry inevitably presupposes (in Collingwood's use of the term, discussed by Grice/Strawson/Pears in their seminal "Metaphysics" in Pears, "The nature of metaphysics" -- originally BBC Third programme lectures, 1957).

Metaphysics (in both its variants, Ontology and Eschatology, then -- to use Griceian parlance) is therefore the most fundamental form of enquiry and - as Lowe also emphasises – something that is extremely difficult to do -- as opposed to 'gardening'?

But, Lowe insists, there are no cheap short-cuts, and no piece-meal solutions to metaphysical problems.

Metaphysics is to be done systematically and patiently.

Lowe’s approach drew inspiration, if not from Kantotle (as Grice's did), from Aristotle and the brilliant English philosopher Locke, amongst others, both of whom retained a foothold in common sense.

Lowe's metaphysical writings addressed a range of themes, including:

-- volition
-- personhood -- cfr. Grice, "Personal identity", Mind, 1941.
-- agency -- cfr. Grice, "Actions and Events", Pacific Philosophical Quarterly, 1986.
-- mental causation
-- identity -- cfr. the Grice-Myro of relative identity.
-- truth
-- essentialism and
-- ontological categories.

In recent years, one of Lowe's many notable achievements was the formulation of a new ‘four-category ontology’, which he proposed as a metaphysical foundation for all empirical scientific thought.

One of his brilliant examples involved the distinction between

'red' and 'apple'

in 'red apple'.

This distinction allows for the categories being _four_.

It is based on the grammar of English, rather than Greek!

The most detailed account of this appears in Lowe's essa, "The Four-Category Ontology" (properly published with Oxford University Press, 2006).

Throughout his life, Lowe was guided by a kind of faith in our ability to discover the fundamental structure of reality through metaphysical thought.

Lowe was spurred on by a constant sense of puzzlement, fascination and bewilderment at the existence and nature of reality, and would not let extraneous considerations distract him from a resolute search for truth.

Those of us who knew him will remember Lowe not just as a gifted and committed philosopher but also as an exceptionally kind, caring and generous person.

Lowe was an accomplished teacher, who did everything he possibly could to support, encourage, nurture and inspire his students, many of whom have gone on to have successful academic careers.

He was similarly supportive of his colleagues at Durham and of the wider philosophical community.

Philosophers from all over the world came to depend on him as a mentor and referee, and he would spend many hours most weeks writing carefully crafted letters of support.

It was a privilege to work with Lowe.

He was always a keen participant in research events, at Durham and elsewhere, where he exercised his astonishingly refined critical skills and offered numerous insightful comments, without ever being dismissive.

Even with Lowe's eminence in the profession and the many associated demands on his time, he insisted on doing his fair share (and usually more than his fair share) of administrative and teaching work.

Lowe was a reassuring presence in the department, who was always on hand to offer support, advice and consolation to colleagues.

We are diminished by the loss of an outstanding philosopher and a great friend.

Jonathan died on 5th January 2014, after several months of illness.

Lowe leaves his wife, Susan, and their two adult children, Rebecca and Tim.

--- With gratitude to Robin Hendry and Matthew Ratcliffe for sharing their recollections and appreciations with us.