John Macmurray (1891-1976) was a moral philosopher born at Maxwellton in Scotland. After service in the first World War, he embarked on a career in philosophy at University College, London and Edinburgh University. He gave the 1953-1954 Gifford Lectures at Glasgow.
He broadcast on philosophy with BBC radio prior to World War II. His philosophy is characterised by an interest in action rather than in thought. His best known works are Interpreting the Universe (1933) and Religion, Art and Science (1961)
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Many of John Macmurray's books are out of print, but some are available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com, or try an out-of-print book search with abebooks.
Books by John Macmurray:
The Boundaries of Science: A Study in the Philosophy of Psycholog y (1939)
A Challenge to the Churches: Religion and Democracy (1941)
The Clue to History (1938)
The Conditions of Freedom (1949)
Constructive Democracy (1943)
Creative Society: A Study of the Relation of Christianity to Communism (1935)
Freedom in the Modern World (1932)
Interpreting the Universe (1933)
Publisher's synopsis: The philosopher John Macmurray's predominant interest lay initially in the nature of persons, since he saw this issue as presenting the main philosophical problem of the 20th century. Later, his preoccupation with the nature of action led him to advocate a revolution in philosophical thinking comparable to that undertaken by Kant. Macmurray argued that philosophers should learn to think from the standpoint of action, which involves participation in real life, instead of from the point of view of the pure thinking self, for whom the world is an object. Although this line of thought was developed after the writing of "Interpreting the Universe" (first published in 1936), and did not reach full expression until Macmurray's Gifford Lectures of 1953-1954, its foundations are laid down in this book. Consequently "Interpreting the Universe" is almost essential preliminary reading for "The Self as Agent" and "Persons in Relation".
Persons in Relation (1961)
Publisher's synopsis: Sets out to show that the form of personal life is determined by the mutuality of personal relationship, so that the unit of human life is not the "I" alone, but the "You and I".
The Philosophy of Communism (1933)
Reason and Emotion (1935)
Publisher's synopsis: The Scottish philosopher John Macmurray (1891-1976) develops his views about reason and emotion as interdependent rather than opposed aspects of human personality. He goes on to apply his general principles to questions of education, sexual ethics, art, science and religion.
Religion, Art, and Science: A Study of the Reflective Activities in Man (1961)
Search for Reality in Religion (1965)
The Self as Agent (1957)
Publisher's synopsis: Aiming to shift the centre of philosophy from thought to action, this study challenges the assumptions of traditional philosophy. Macmurray sets the view that the self is a person and that personal existence is constituted by the relations of persons.
The Structure of Religious Experience (1936)
John Macmurray: A Biography (2001) by John E. Costello
Publisher's synopsis: Deeply moved by his experiences in the trenches of the First World War, the Scottish philospher John Macmurray came to challenge the conventions inherited from European traditions of thought and mounted an assault on impersonal philosophies that failed to address needs and emotional reality. This biography draws on unpublished diaries and family records in an attempt to shed light on the development of his thought and reveals the colourful complexity of his character and relationships.
The John Macmurray Fellowship
