I am very sorry to report that my colleague Bob Solomon died suddenly on January 2, while travelling in Zurich. I will link to a memorial notice as soon as one is available. His breadth of philosophical interests was remarkable, including Continental philosophy, business ethics, Non-Western philosophy, and philosophy of mind, though it is probably fair to say that he is best known among philosophers for his seminal work on the philosophy of the emotions and on existentialism. His 1972 book From Rationalism to Existentialism: The Existentialists and Their Nineteenth-Century Backgrounds may still be the single best introductory text on existentialism in English, and his 1976 book on The Passions is a classic in the literature on the emotions. He was also an enormously popular teacher and lecturer, and a member of the University's Academy of Distinguished Teachers. (You can listen to Bob Solomon on "Philosophy Talk" radio with John Perry and Ken Taylor here.)
I want to extend my deepest condolences to his wife and my colleague, the philosopher Kathleen Higgins.
UPDATE: Farhang Erfani, a philosopher at American University, has posted the clip from the movie "Waking Life" featuring Professor Solomon.
ANOTHER: Here is a lovely remembrance from one of his undergraduate students.
UPDATE (JANUARY 5): The Austin-American Statesman has run a lengthy and informative memorial notice here; one has to register (for free) to access it. There is also a short memorial notice from UT's College of Liberal Arts.
Recent Comments