A. E. Heath: Difference between revisions

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”’Archibald Edward Heath”’ (6 August 1887<ref>{{Cite web |title=1939 Register |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=TNA/R39/7283/7283E/003/28 |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=www.findmypast.co.uk}}</ref> – 18 May 1961)<ref>{{Cite web |date=1962 |title=England & Wales Government Probate Death Index 1858-2019 |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/register |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=www.findmypast.co.uk}}</ref> was a humanist philosopher and Foundation Professor of Philosophy at [[Swansea University|University College, Swansea]], 1925–1952.<ref>{{Citation |last=Kremer |first=Michael |title=Macdonald’s Letters to Max Black |date=2025-08-19 |work=Margaret Macdonald and Analytic Philosophy in the 1930s |pages=120 |url=https://academic.oup.com/book/60656/chapter/526290886 |access-date=2025-11-16 |edition=1 |publisher=Oxford University PressOxford |language=en |doi=10.1093/9780191987557.003.0002 |isbn=978-0-19-198755-7 |last2=Misak |first2=Cheryl |author-link=Michael Kremer (philosopher) |author-link2=Cheryl Misak |url-access=subscription}}</ref> His appointment and support for [[Rush Rhees]] and also of [[Peter Winch]] enabled the development of the [[Ludwig Wittgenstein|Wittgenstein]]-inspired ‘Swansea School of Philosophy’ from the 1950s on. He was President of the [[Rationalist Association|Rationalist Press Association]] from 1949 until he was was succeeded in 1955 by [[Bertrand Russell|Bertrand Russell,]] who remained in the post for life.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Walter |first=Nicolas |author-link=Nicolas Walter |date=1991 |title=Humanist Heritage: A Century of Reason: Part 2 |url=https://heritage.humanists.uk/article/a-century-of-reason-2/ |access-date=2025-11-16 |website=Humanist Heritage |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=December 1954 |title=News and Notes |pages=v |work=The Literary Guide}}</ref>

”’Archibald Edward Heath”’ (6 August 1887<ref>{{Cite web |title=1939 Register |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=TNA/R39/7283/7283E/003/28 |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=www.findmypast.co.uk}}</ref> – 18 May 1961)<ref>{{Cite web |date=1962 |title=England & Wales Government Probate Death Index 1858-2019 |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/register |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=www.findmypast.co.uk}}</ref> was a humanist philosopher and Foundation Professor of Philosophy at [[Swansea University|University College, Swansea]], 1925–1952.<ref>{{Citation |last=Kremer |first=Michael |title=Macdonald’s Letters to Max Black |date=2025-08-19 |work=Margaret Macdonald and Analytic Philosophy in the 1930s |pages=120 |url=https://academic.oup.com/book/60656/chapter/526290886 |access-date=2025-11-16 |edition=1 |publisher=Oxford University PressOxford |language=en |doi=10.1093/9780191987557.003.0002 |isbn=978-0-19-198755-7 |last2=Misak |first2=Cheryl |author-link=Michael Kremer (philosopher) |author-link2=Cheryl Misak |url-access=subscription}}</ref> His appointment and support for [[Rush Rhees]] and also of [[Peter Winch]] enabled the development of the [[Ludwig Wittgenstein|Wittgenstein]]-inspired ‘Swansea School of Philosophy’ from the 1950s on. He was President of the [[Rationalist Association|Rationalist Press Association]] from 1949 until he was succeeded in 1955 by [[Bertrand Russell|Bertrand Russell,]] who remained in the post for life.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Walter |first=Nicolas |author-link=Nicolas Walter |date=1991 |title=Humanist Heritage: A Century of Reason: Part 2 |url=https://heritage.humanists.uk/article/a-century-of-reason-2/ |access-date=2025-11-16 |website=Humanist Heritage |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=December 1954 |title=News and Notes |pages=v |work=The Literary Guide}}</ref>

== Career ==

== Career ==

British philosopher

Archibald Edward Heath (6 August 1887[1] – 18 May 1961)[2] was a humanist philosopher and Foundation Professor of Philosophy at University College, Swansea, 1925–1952.[3] His appointment and support for Rush Rhees and also of Peter Winch enabled the development of the Wittgenstein-inspired ‘Swansea School of Philosophy’ from the 1950s on. He was President of the Rationalist Press Association from 1949 until he was succeeded in 1955 by Bertrand Russell, who remained in the post for life.[4][5]

Archie Heath, as he was known to most, was a teacher at Oundle School,[6] and subsequently science master at Bedales School, where one of the students he encouraged was Robin Hill, who went on to be a plant biochemist.[7][8] Heath can be placed at Bedales between at least 1916 and 1918.[9][10]

He was later a lecturer at the universities of Manchester and Liverpool.[6]

From 1925 to 1952, Heath was Foundation Professor of Philosophy at University College, Swansea.[7] While there, he was an influence on both American-born philosopher Rush Rhees (who worked as an assistant professor alongside Heath)[11] and British philosopher Peter Winch.[12] D.Z. Phillips, a prominent member of the Swansea School said of Heath, in his biography of Winch, that he, “had an eye for philosophical talent”. His previous appointments had included R. I. Aaron, A. C. Ewing, H. B. Acton, W. B. Gallie, Karl Britton and later also R. F. Holland.[13]

Heath’s recruitment of philosophical talent was however, at least prior to World War II, constrained by the biases of the administration of the day – he had to inform Stebbing that “he could not persuade the Council to contemplate appointing a woman” in the case of Helen Knight, on which grounds, as she reports, Margaret MacDonald did not apply.[14] Heath himself is known to have been supportive of female students and staff at Swansea such as the historian Marian Phillips (1916-2013) who he (unsuccessfully) tried to convince to stay on for a fourth year as an undergraduate to gain double honours in Philosophy rather than immediately pursue historical research after graduating in 1935.[15] Like Rhees. Phillips, would find entry into academic employment at Swansea through staff leaving for war duties.

Heath wrote the introduction to the 1948 Thinker’s Library edition of the late Susan Stebbing‘s Ideals and Illusions [1941]. He described Stebbing as someone who had “scared academic persons because she not only professed rationality but also lived it. She made criticism an act of grace.”[16] He had participated in at least two symposiums with her before her early death in 1943.[17][18]

A humanist, Heath was a Director of the Rationalist Press Association 1946 to 1958; its President from 1949 to 1954, and Vice President from 1955 until his death.[6] Heath was the editor of Scientific Thought in the Twentieth Century, published in 1951.[19] This contained contributions from high profile thinkers including A. J. Ayer, Ronald Fisher, Peter Medawar, and Sir Harold Spencer Jones.[19] Albert Einstein, wrote Rationalist Press Association’s Board of Directors congratulating them on the volume.[19]

Heath placed great importance on the role of reflection. In the accompanying pamphlet for his 1931 BBC Radio series ‘Thinking Ahead – The Place of Reflection in Civilization,’he placed reflection at the centre of philosophy and of the human condition, arguing that “reflection is man’s chief glory”.[20] Humans, according to Heath, “make deliberate use of past experience in present acts” and it is reflection that distinguishes humans from other animals.

Heath’s funeral was conducted at Swansea by H. J. Blackham, who quoted Heath’s words during the humanist ceremony: “The study of human beings, in all their complex doings between a sleep and a sleep, is an endless source of interest and puzzlement.”[6]

Blackman also commented om Heath’s career long role as a teacher, saying,

“For him, as for Plato, philosophy was naturally linked with education, not by any logical or academic connection, but because they belonged together in him. He was an educator because he liked teaching and had something to teach… Certainly he left his mark upon the minds and fortunes of countless pupils and students at Oundle and Bedales, in Manchester and Liverpool, and for longer than a quarter of a century here in Swansea.” [21]

Selected publications

[edit]

  • 1931: Thinking Ahead: The Place of Reflection in Civilisation London: BBC
  • 1936: (with W. E. Williams) Learn and live; the consumer’s view of adult education London: Methuen.[23]
  • 1951: (ed.) Scientific thought in the twentieth century. An authoritative account of fifty year’s progress in science London: Watts
  1. ^ “1939 Register”. www.findmypast.co.uk. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  2. ^ “England & Wales Government Probate Death Index 1858-2019”. www.findmypast.co.uk. 1962. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  3. ^ Kremer, Michael; Misak, Cheryl (19 August 2025), “Macdonald’s Letters to Max Black”, Margaret Macdonald and Analytic Philosophy in the 1930s (1 ed.), Oxford University PressOxford, p. 120, doi:10.1093/9780191987557.003.0002, ISBN 978-0-19-198755-7, retrieved 16 November 2025
  4. ^ Walter, Nicolas (1991). “Humanist Heritage: A Century of Reason: Part 2”. Humanist Heritage. Retrieved 16 November 2025.
  5. ^ “News and Notes”. The Literary Guide. December 1954. pp. v.
  6. ^ a b c d “Humanist Front”. The Humanist. July 1961. p. 223.
  7. ^ a b Mabberley, D. J. (2004). “Hill, Robert [Robin] (1899–1991), plant biochemist”. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/49777. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. Retrieved 1 December 2022. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)
  8. ^ Bendall, D. S. (January 1997). “Robert Hill, 2 April 1899 – 15 March 1991”. Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 40: 144–145. doi:10.1098/rsbm.1994.0033.
  9. ^ Heath, A. E. (1917). “The Geometrical Analysis of Grassmann and Its Connection with Leibniz’s Characteristic”. The Monist. 27 (1): 36–56. ISSN 0026-9662. JSTOR 27900623.
  10. ^ Heath, A. E. (March 1916). “Ground Rainbows”. Nature. 97 (2418): 5–6. doi:10.1038/097005c0. ISSN 0028-0836.
  11. ^ Phillips, D. Z. (23 September 2004). “Rhees, Rush (1905–1989), philosopher”. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/65652. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)
  12. ^ “Winch, Peter Guy (1926–1997), philosopher”. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/65661. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. Retrieved 1 December 2022. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)
  13. ^ Phillips, D. Z. (23 September 2004). “Winch, Peter (1926–1997), philosopher”. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/65652. Retrieved 15 June 2023. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)
  14. ^ Kremer, Michael; Misak, Cheryl (19 August 2025), “Margaret Macdonald”, Margaret Macdonald and Analytic Philosophy in the 1930s (1 ed.), Oxford University PressOxford, p. 18, doi:10.1093/9780191987557.003.0001, ISBN 978-0-19-198755-7, retrieved 16 November 2025, Duncan-Jones encouraged her to apply for a position at Swansea that had been advertised, but Macdonald replied on 26 June: ‘I am not applying for Swansea. Heath told Stebbing that he could not persuade the Council to contemplate appointing a woman when Mrs. Knight applied before and the position does not seem to have altered.’
  15. ^ Mair Barker, Eirlys; Jones, Philip Henry. “Marian Phillips (1916-2013) – Peacetime student and wartime lecturer”. Swansea University Centenary 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2025. A.E. Heath […]was a man of wide cultural interests who tried to broaden the horizons of his students. To this end he lent Marian a copy of James Joyce’s then-banned book, Ulysses, wrapped up in brown paper to look like a text book, so that she could read it on the bus. Heath had hoped that Marian would stay on for a fourth year as an undergraduate to gain double honours in Philosophy rather than immediately commencing research in history, and even travelled up to Cwm-twrch to argue the case with her father, who replied that ‘when Marian makes up her mind to do something, there’s no point arguing with her.’
  16. ^ Stebbing, L. Susan (1948) [1941]. “Introduction to the Thinker’s Library Edition”. Ideals And Illusions. London: Watts & Co. (publishing firm).
  17. ^ Russell, L. J.; Stebbing, L. S.; Heath, A. E. (1928). “Symposium: Materialism in the Light of Modern Scientific Thought”. Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, Supplementary Volumes. 8: 99–142. ISSN 0309-7013.
  18. ^ Stebbing, L. S.; Russell, L. J.; Heath, A. E. (1934). “Symposium: Communication and Verification”. Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, Supplementary Volumes. 13: 159–202. ISSN 0309-7013.
  19. ^ a b c Cooke, Bill (2004). The gathering of infidels : a hundred years of the Rationalist Press Association. Internet Archive. Amherst, N.Y. : Prometheus Books. ISBN 978-1-59102-196-4.
  20. ^ Hall, Chris (26 May 2025). “Exploring Models Of Reflective Practice To Aid The Understanding Of Pilgrimage Experience”. International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage. 13 (1): 109–118. doi:10.21427/76tg-xe92. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
  21. ^ Swansea Evening Post, May 19th 1961
  22. ^ FIELD, G. [Review] “How we Behave: an Introduction to Psychology.” Nature 121, 88 (1928). doi:10.1038/121088b0 p.88
  23. ^ Fihe, Pauline J. (1937). “Review of Learn and Live. The Consumer’s View of Adult Education”. The Library Quarterly: Information, Community, Policy. 7 (3): 453–454. ISSN 0024-2519.

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