John Lucas (philosopher)

John Randolph Lucas (born 18 June, 1929) is a philosopher. He was for 36 years, until his retirement in 1996, a Fellow and Tutor of Merton College, Oxford, and remains an emeritus member of the University Faculty of Philosophy.

Related Topics:
18 June - 1929 - Merton College, Oxford - Philosophy

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As an undergraduate, he studied first mathematics, then Greats (Philosophy and Ancient History) at Balliol College, Oxford. After graduation he became a Junior Research Fellow in philosophy at Merton. His philosophical interests have included inter alia the implications of Gödel's incompleteness theorem, problems of mind and will, philosophy of science, space-time and causation, political principles, ethical behaviour particularly in business, and aspects of religion. Lucas is well known for a paper Minds, Machines and Gödel in which he argues that that a human mathematician cannot be represented accurately by an automaton. Douglas Hofstadter includes a lengthy critique of some of Lucas' ideas in his popular book Gödel, Escher, Bach.

Related Topics:
Greats - Balliol College, Oxford - Gödel's incompleteness theorem - Mind - Will - Philosophy of science - Causation - Religion - Minds, Machines and Gödel - Mathematician - Automaton - Douglas Hofstadter - Gödel, Escher, Bach

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Beside his philosophical career, Lucas has taken a practical interest in ethical behaviour in business. He helped found the Oxford Consumers' Group http://www.communigate.co.uk/oxford/oxfordconsumergroup/index.phtml, and was its first Chairman in 1961-3, serving again in 1965.

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The son of a Church of England clergyman, Lucas describes himself as "a dyed-in-the-wool traditional Englishman". He married in 1961 Morar Portal, and they have four children. Sartorially independent, he may be remembered for a cool-weather habit of wearing a tie over his sweater under a jacket.

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