Remembering Emeritus Fellow in Philosophy Prof Paul Snowdon

Professor Paul Snowdon, who has died aged 75 on 12 August 2022, was an Emeritus Fellow at Exeter College. He served as a Tutorial Fellow in Philosophy at Exeter from 1971-2001 and was the Grote Professor of Mind and Logic at University College London until his retirement in 2015.

Prof Snowdon was an esteemed scholar of metaphysics. He explored the philosophy of the mind, and the history of twentieth-century Anglo-American philosophy. His scholarship demystified the nature of persons and selves, and the relationship between perception, action, and know-how. He authored Persons, Animals, Ourselves and co-edited Animalism with Stephan Blatti. The Oxford University Press is currently compiling a collection of his pieces on perception.

Beyond being an excellent scholar and thinker, Prof Snowdon was a wonderful colleague and tutor. His humility and inquisitiveness showed in every interaction with his fellow scholars. He made philosophy come alive in his lectures, and took care to support his students. His teaching has influenced countless Exeter philosophers.

Snowdon is survived by his wife, Katherine Snowdon, and their two children, Nicholas and Victoria.