A few years back I had a conversation with some friends where we tried to name philosophers who were also children of philosophers. The conversation has stuck with me mostly because I would be tickled if either Caroline or Joey went into academic philosophy, even though I know that it is an impossible business. More bluntly: I generally advise students not to go to philosophy grad school, but I would be thrilled if two of the most important people in my life did it.
In any case, this is all I can remember of the list. I'm certain that once you start going back into ancient philosophy, this sort of thing will be more common, but this is all I can think of.
Elizabeth Harman and
Gilbert HarmanPenelope Mackie and
J.L. MackieRoy Wood Sellars and
Wilfrid SellarsThomas Nagel and Ernst Nagel (? actually this doesn't seem to be likely)(because its not true)James Mill and
John Stuart Mill
David Sosa, son of Ernest
ReplyDeleteRebecca Kukla, daughter of André
Paul Audi, son of Robert
Aha! I knew there were more.
ReplyDeleteHilary Bok and Sissela Bok.
ReplyDeleteThe Hilary Bok's lineage makes me feel small and insignificant.
ReplyDeleteOh so very much indeed. Her parents' accomplishments ought to be enough. Both maternal grandparents having Nobels is just gratuitous.
ReplyDelete"Thomas Nagel and Ernst Nagel (? actually this doesn't seem to be likely)."
ReplyDeleteIt's not true.
Gil
PF Strawson and Galen Strawson
ReplyDeleteThere's also JL Mackie's son (David?) as well as Penelope.
Well, philosophy prof. Catherine Zuckert is the mother of philosophy prof. Rachel Zuckert.
ReplyDeleteAlso, does David Foster Wallace count? He almost ought to. In any event, his dad is a phil. prof. at UIUC.
Rich Hall is a philosopher who was at Mich. State (I think) before he retired--he lives here in Hiram now and his father was a philosopher at U. of Iowa with Gustav Bergmann and somewhere else. There's a history of analytic philosophy website somewhere that had a piece on Prof. Hall pere.
ReplyDeleteE.W. Hall = pere
ReplyDeleteRich Hall = fils
I went to grad school with Nicholas Rescher's son, Owen. But he left to attend law school.
ReplyDeleteAlexis Burgess and Alexis Burgess' father.
ReplyDeleteHi - Here's some more -
ReplyDeleteSarah Stroud and Barry Stroud
Jennifer Nagel and Gordon Nagel
Philip and Michael Kremer, both sons of Elmar Kremer
We're everywhere!!!!!
Rebecca Kukla, daughter of Andre, as someone pointed out above. :-)
Moses Maimonides and his son and philosophical defender Abraham ben Moses Maimon; though if you start considering rabbinical families they may quickly overwhelm the list.
ReplyDeleteSee, I knew this sort of thing would be more common in other eras.
ReplyDeleteHeather Gert and Josh Gert, both philosophers, offspring of philosopher Bernard Gert.
ReplyDeleteAlan Leslie is Sarah-Jane Leslie's father
ReplyDelete"Wilfrid" Sellars, not "Wilfred".
ReplyDeleteAnon: fixed.
ReplyDeletePeter Geach's father was a philosophy academic; I believe that at least one of Geach and Anscombe's children has become one, but am not sure.
ReplyDeletePhil (Toronto) and Michael (Notre Dame?) Kremer's father, Elmar Kremer, is an emeritus professor of philosophy at Toronto.
Cordelia Fine is one of Kit Fine's daughters
ReplyDeleteWill Davies (Cambridge), son of Martin (Oxford)
ReplyDeleteGaylen Strawson, Son Of P.F.
ReplyDeleteBernard Linsky, son of Leonard Linsky.
ReplyDelete