W. B. Gallie

Walter Bryce Gallie (5 October 1912 – 31 August 1998) was a Scottish social theorist, political theorist, and philosopher. Gallie was born in Lenzie, East Dunbartonshire, near Glasgow, the son of an engineer. He worked as a classics teacher at Sedbergh School between the wars. In 1940, he married Menna Patricia Humphreys. They had a son and a daughter. In 1949 he had published his memoirs of this in the book An English School. He died in Cardigan, Ceredigion, on 31 August 1998.

Military career

He served in the British Army from 1940 to 1945, leaving the service with the rank of major. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre.

[The time he spent in the army] evidently made an [sic] great impression upon him. Though a very out-going man, he never spoke of his wartime experiences though he repeatedly returned to the philosophical aspects of war in conversation.

Academic career

Gallie became an Assistant Lecturer in Philosophy at University College of Swansea in 1935, a lecturer in philosophy at University College of Swansea in 1938 and Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at University College of Swansea in 1948. He became Professor of Philosophy at University College of North Staffordshire in 1950, Professor of Logic and Metaphysics at Queen's University, Belfast in 1954 and Professor of Political Science at Cambridge University 1967. He was also a fellow of Peterhouse from 1967 to 1978.

Notable contributions

In 1952 Gallie had his book 'Peirce and pragmatism' published, which introduced the work of Charles Sanders Peirce to an international readership. A.J. Ayer, the English philosopher, provided the Editorial Foreword to Gallie's book. In it he credited Peirce's philosophy as being 'not only of great historical significance, as one of the original sources of American pragmatism, but also extremely important in itself.' Ayer concluded: 'it is clear from Professor Gallie’s exposition of his doctrines that he is a philosopher from whom we still have much to learn.'

In his 1955 paper 'Essentially contested concepts', Gallie argued that it is impossible to conclusively define key appraisive concepts such as 'social justice,' 'democracy,' 'Christian life', 'art', 'moral goodness' and 'duty', although it is possible and rational to discuss one's justifications for holding one interpretation over competing ones. Clarification of such concepts involves not the examination of predictive relations (as is the case for most scientific concepts), but rather, consideration of how the concept has been used by different parties throughout its history.

Works

• 1939: An Interpretation of Causal Laws. Mind. 48 (192). 409–426.
• 1949: An English School. London: Cresset Press.
• 1952: Peirce and pragmatism. Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin Books. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
• 1954: The Function of Philosophical Aesthetics. In Elton, W.R. 'Aesthetics and Language: Essays by W. B. Gallie and Others'. Basil Blackwell.
• 1955: Explanations in History and the Genetic Sciences. Mind. 64 (254). 160–180.
• 1955: Essentially Contested Concepts. Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, Vol.56, (1956), pp. 167–198.
• 1956: Art as an Essentially Contested Concept. The Philosophical Quarterly. 6 (23). 97–114.
• 1957: Free Will and Determinism Yet Again: An Inaugural Lecture Delivered on 15 May 1957 at the Queen's University of Belfast, Marjory Boyd, (Belfast).
• 1957: What Makes a Subject Scientific?. The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 8 (30): 118–139.
• 1957: The Lords' Debate on Hanging July 1956: Interpretation and Comment. Philosophy. 32 (121). 132–147.
• 1960: A New University: A. D. Lindsay and the Keele Experiment. Chatto & Windus.
• 1963: The historical understanding. History and Theory. 3 (2). 149-202.
• 1964: Philosophy and the Historical Understanding. London: Chatto & Windus. (Second edition published in 1968 by Schocken Books.)
• 1968: The Idea of Practice. Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society. 68: 63–86.
• 1973: Wanted: A Philosophy of International Relations. Political Studies 27(3): 484–492.
• 1978: Philosophers of Peace and War: Kant, Clausewitz, Marx, Engels and Tolstoy [The Wiles Lectures, delivered at Belfast University in May 1976]. Cambridge University Press.
• 1979: Kant's View of Reason in Politics. Philosophy. 54 (207). 19–33.
• 1983: How to Think about Nuclear Weapons: J.R. Jones Memorial Lecture Delivered at the College on 26 April 1983. University College of Swansea.
• 1991: Understanding War: An Essay on the Nuclear Age. London: Routledge.
• 2001: Narrative and historical understanding. (A reprint of the 'The historical understanding'.) Chapter 2 in 'The history and narrative reader'. Edited by Geoffrey Roberts. London: Routledge. Accessed 27 February 2025.

Further reading

• Anon, "Obituary Notice: Walter Bryce Gallie", Cambridge University Reporter, 7 October 1998.
• Harrah, David (1959). "Gallie and the scientific tradition". The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science. 10 (39): 234-239.
• Montefiore, Alan (1956). "Professor Gallie on necessary and sufficient conditions". Mind. 65 (260): 534-541. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
• Sharpe, R.a. (4 September 1998). "Obituary: Professor W. B. Gallie". Independent. Retrieved 25 February 2025.