Geoffrey Warnock

Sir
Geoffrey Warnock
Sir Geoffrey Warnock
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford
	In office; 1981–1985
Chancellor	The Earl of Stockton
Preceded by	Sir Rex Richards
Succeeded by	The Lord Neill of Bladen
Personal details
Born	Geoffrey James Warnock; 16 August 1923; Leeds, England
Died	8 October 1995 (aged 72); Axford, Wiltshire, England
Spouse	Mary Warnock, Baroness Warnock (m. 1949)
Children	5
Education	Winchester College; New College, Oxford
Occupation	Philosopher
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Sir Geoffrey James Warnock (16 August 1923 – 8 October 1995)^[1] was an English philosopher and Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University.^[2] Before his knighthood (in the 1986 New Year Honours), he was commonly known as G. J. Warnock.

Life

Warnock was born at Neville House, Chapel Allerton, Leeds, West Yorkshire, to James Warnock (1880–1953), OBE, a general practitioner from Northern Ireland who had been a Captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps,^[3] and Kathleen (née Hall; 1890–1979). The Warnocks later lived at Grade II-listed^[4] Pull Croft, Sutton Courtenay, Oxfordshire (historically Berkshire).^[5]^[6]

Warnock was educated at Winchester College.^[1] He then served with the Irish Guards until 1945, before entering New College, Oxford, with a deferred classics scholarship. At New College, he read for a degree in PPE, graduating with a first in 1948.^[7] His tutors during his studies included Isaiah Berlin and H. L. A. Hart.^[7]

He was elected to a Fellowship at Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1949. After spending three years at Brasenose College, he returned to Magdalen as a Fellow and tutor in philosophy. In 1970, he was elected to Principal of Hertford College, Oxford (1971–1988), where there is now a society and student house named after him.^[8] He was also the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1981 to 1985.^[2]

Warnock, with co-editor J. O. Urmson, prepared for posthumous 1961 publication the Philosophical Papers of their friend, and fellow Oxford linguistic philosopher, J. L. Austin.^[9] Warnock also reconstructed Austin's Sense and Sensibilia (1962) from manuscript notes.^[10]

Warnock married Mary Wilson, a fellow philosopher of St Hugh's College, Oxford, and later Baroness Warnock, in 1949. They had two sons and three daughters.^[11]^[12] He retired to live near Marlborough, Wiltshire, in 1988 and died of degenerative lung disease in 1995^[13] at Axford in Wiltshire.

Works

Books

Berkeley, Penguin Books, 1953.
English Philosophy Since 1900, 1st edition, Oxford University Press, 1958; 2nd edition, Oxford University Press, 1969.
Contemporary Moral Philosophy (New studies in ethics), Palgrave Macmillan, 1967. ISBN 978-0333048979.
The Object of Morality, Methuen, 1971. ISBN 0-416-13780-6.
Morality and Language, Barnes & Noble. 1983
J. L. Austin (The Arguments of the Philosophers), Routledge, 1989.^[14]

Papers

Metaphysics in Logic in Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, New Series, Vol. 51 (1950 - 1951), pp. 197-222.
Verification and the Use of Language in Revue Internationale de Philosophie, Vol. 5, No. 17/18 (3/4) (1951), pp. 307-322
Seeing in Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, New Series, Vol. 55 (1954 - 1955), pp. 201-218.
Analysis and Imagination in A.J. Ayer et al., The Revolution in Philosophy. London: Macmillan, 1956.
J. L. Austin (with J.O. Urmson) in Mind, New Series, Vol. 70, No. 278 (Apr., 1961), pp. 256-257.
The Primacy of Practical Reason. Proceedings of the British Academy 52, 1966 (1967).
Saturday Mornings in Essays on J.L. Austin (1973)
Gilbert Ryle's Editorship (1976) in Mind, Vol. 85, No. 337 (Jan., 1976), pp. 47-56.

Reviews

Reason and Analysis by Brand Blanshard (1963) in The Philosophical Quarterly, Vol. 13, No. 53 (Oct., 1963), pp. 373-375.
What Philosophy Is: a guide to the elements by Arthur C. Danto (1970) in Metaphilosophy, Vol. 1, No. 2 (April 1970), pp. 166-168.
Philosophical Problems by Leonard Goddard (1979) in The Philosophical Quarterly, Vol. 29, No. 114 (Jan., 1979), pp. 83-84.

For a more complete list of Warnock's works see his PhilPapers entry.

References

^ ^a ^b Torrance, John (16 October 1995). "Obituary: Sir Geoffrey Warnock — Obituaries, News". The Independent. London. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
^ ^a ^b "Previous Vice-Chancellors". University of Oxford, UK. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
^ The Medical Register, vol. 2- Provinces and Wales, J. & A. Churchill, Ltd, 1948, p. 2199
^ "British Listed Buildings: Number 53 (Pull Croft) and railings to front". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
^ "Warnock, Sir Geoffrey James". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/60440. Retrieved 21 March 2019. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)
^ Wills and Probate 1858–1996, surname 'Warnock', year of death '1954', page 170, Warnock, James, of Pull Croft, Sutton Courtenay, died 4 December 1953, Probate to Kathleen Warnock, widow
^ ^a ^b Gardiner, Patrick (15 October 1995). "OBITUARY: Sir Geoffrey Warnock". The Independent. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
^ Geoffrey Warnock student accommodation Archived 1 October 2005 at the Wayback Machine, Hertford College, Oxford, UK.
^ Austin, J. L. (1961). Urmson, J. O.; Warnock, G. J. (eds.). Philosophical Papers. Universal Digital Library. Oxford University Press. OL 5843510M.
^ Austin, J. L. (John Langshaw) (1964). Sense and Sensibilia. Internet Archive. London : Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-500307-9. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
^ "Belief transcript: Mary Warnock interview". archived at the Wayback Machine, 6 February 2007. Archived from the original on 6 February 2007.
^ "House of Lords". TheyWorkForYou. 25 July 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
^ "Mary Warnock". The Gifford Lectures. 18 August 2014. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
^ McGinn, Colin (23 November 1989). "Reputation". London Review of Books. Vol. 11, no. 22. ISSN 0260-9592. Archived from the original on 27 October 2025. Retrieved 28 October 2025.

External links

Geoffrey Warnock on Kant on YouTube – Discussion with Bryan Magee
Behaviour control: freedom and morality (video) Warnock in discussion with B. F Skinner and host Godfrey Vesey (Open University, 1972)
Photograph of Geoffrey and Mary Warnock by Steve Pyke

Academic offices

Preceded by

George Lindor Brown

Principal of Hertford College, Oxford
1971–1988

Succeeded by

Christopher Zeeman

Preceded by

Sir Rex Richards

Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University
1981–1985

Succeeded by

Lord Neill of Bladen

[independent-1] Torrance, John (16 October 1995). "Obituary: Sir Geoffrey Warnock — Obituaries, News". The Independent. London. Retrieved 23 December 2010.

[vc-2] "Previous Vice-Chancellors". University of Oxford, UK. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2011.

[3] The Medical Register, vol. 2- Provinces and Wales, J. & A. Churchill, Ltd, 1948, p. 2199

[4] "British Listed Buildings: Number 53 (Pull Croft) and railings to front". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 21 March 2019.

[5] "Warnock, Sir Geoffrey James". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/60440. Retrieved 21 March 2019. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)

[6] Wills and Probate 1858–1996, surname 'Warnock', year of death '1954', page 170, Warnock, James, of Pull Croft, Sutton Courtenay, died 4 December 1953, Probate to Kathleen Warnock, widow

[:0-7] Gardiner, Patrick (15 October 1995). "OBITUARY: Sir Geoffrey Warnock". The Independent. Retrieved 11 January 2024.

[8] Geoffrey Warnock student accommodation Archived 1 October 2005 at the Wayback Machine, Hertford College, Oxford, UK.

[9] Austin, J. L. (1961). Urmson, J. O.; Warnock, G. J. (eds.). Philosophical Papers. Universal Digital Library. Oxford University Press. OL 5843510M.

[10] Austin, J. L. (John Langshaw) (1964). Sense and Sensibilia. Internet Archive. London : Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-500307-9. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)CS1 maint: publisher location (link)

[11] "Belief transcript: Mary Warnock interview". archived at the Wayback Machine, 6 February 2007. Archived from the original on 6 February 2007.

[12] "House of Lords". TheyWorkForYou. 25 July 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2013.

[13] "Mary Warnock". The Gifford Lectures. 18 August 2014. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2019.

[14] McGinn, Colin (23 November 1989). "Reputation". London Review of Books. Vol. 11, no. 22. ISSN 0260-9592. Archived from the original on 27 October 2025. Retrieved 28 October 2025.

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v t e Principals of Hertford College, Oxford
First Foundation	Richard Newton William Sharpe David Durell Bernard Hodgson
Second Foundation	Richard Michell Henry Boyd Walter Buchanan-Riddell C. R. M. F. Cruttwell Neville Richard Murphy Bill Ferrar Robert Hall George Lindor Brown Geoffrey Warnock Christopher Zeeman Walter Bodmer John Landers Will Hutton

v t e Vice-chancellors of the University of Oxford
13th century	1230 Elyas de Daneis 1270 Robert Steeton 1288 John Heigham
14th century	1304 John de Oseworhd 1311 Walter Gifford 1325 Richard Kamshale 1333 Richard FitzRalph 1336 John de Ayllesbury 1337 John de Reigham 1347 Hugh de Willoughby 1348 William de Hawkesworth 1367 John de Codeford 1368 John de Codeford 1377 Robert Aylesham 1382 Fr Peter Stokes 1386 Henry Nafford or Yafford 1389 John Lyndon 1391 John Ashwardby 1394 Richard Ullerston 1396 Nicholas Faux 1397 William Farendon or Faringdon 1399 John Snappe and others
15th century	1401 William Farendon 1404 Griffin Kirkadam 1405 William Farendon 1406 John Whytehede 1407 John Orum 1422 John Daventry 1426 Richard Roderham 1430 Thomas Eglesfield 1431 Richard Roderham 1433 John Burbach or Hurbach 1434 Thomas Gascoigne, Christopher Knolles, John Burbach 1435 John Burbach, Thomas Bonyngworth 1436 John Burbach, Thomas Greneley 1437 John Gorsuch, Thomas Greneley 1438 John Gorsuch, William Hawtrine 1439 John Gorsuch, John Burbach, Thomas Southam, Thomas Gascoigne 1440 John Gorsuch 1441 John Gorsuch, Robert Thwaits, William Babington 1442 William Grey, William Babington, John Gorsuch, William Westkarre 1443 William Dowson, William Westkarre 1444 William Dowson, Richard Hall, William Westkarre 1445 William Dowson, John Selot 1446 William Westkarre, John Moreton, William Dowson 1447 John Burneby, William Dowson 1448 John Burneby 1449 John Willey, John Burneby, William Dowson 1450 Richard Ringstede, John Beke, Roger Bulkeley, John Van 1451 John Beke, John Van 1452 John Beke, Thomas Tweyn or Yweyn alias Chalke, Thomas Saunders 1453 Luke Lacock, Robert Thwaits, Thomas Saunders 1454 Thomas Tweyn, Thomas Saunders 1455 Thomas Twynge alias Bonifaunt 1456 Thomas Saunders 1457 Thomas Chippenham 1458 Walter Wynhale, Thomas Twynge 1459 John Danvers, Thomas Jaune or Jane 1460 Thomas Tweyn 1461 William Ive, Roger Bulkeley 1462 William Ive 1463 John Watts, Thomas Chaundler, David Husband, John Mulcaster 1464 Laurence Cokkys, Thomas Chaundler, Roger Bulkeley, John Caldbeck, Thomas Person 1465 Thomas Smith, Robert Ixworth, John Caldbeck, Thomas Chaundler 1466 Thomas Chaundler, John Caldbeck, Thomas Stevyn, Laurence Cokkys, Thomas Hill 1467 Thomas Chaundler, Thomas Stevyn, Thomas Walton 1468 Thomas Stevyn, Thomas Jaune 1469 Robert Tulley, Thomas Jaune 1470 Thomas Stevyn 1480 John Lane, William Sutton 1481 Richard Fitzjames, William Sutton 1482 Robert Wrangwais, William Sutton 1484 Richard Mayew, Thomas Pawnton 1485 Richard Mayew 1486 John Taylor 1487 Richard Estmond 1488 John Coldale 1489 John Coldale 1490 John Coldale 1491 Richard Fitzjames, John Coldale 1492 John Coldale 1493 Robert Smith 1497 William Atwater 1498 Thomas Harpur 1499 David Hays, William Atwater, Thomas Chaundeler
16th century	1500 William Atwater 1501 Thomas Banke, Hugh Saunders alias Shakspeere 1502 William Atwater, Thomas Banke, Hugh Saunders 1503 John Thornden or Thornton, John Kynton, Simon Grene alias Fotherby 1504 John Kynton, Robert Tehy or Thay 1505 Simon Grene, John Roper, John Adams 1506 John Thornden, William Fauntleroy 1507 John Thornden or Thornton, John Avery, John Kynton 1508 William Fauntleroy, John Thornden 1509 William Fauntleroy 1510 John Thornden, John Mychell 1511 William Fauntleroy, Thomas Drax, John Roper, John Cockys, Edmund Wylsford 1512 Edmund Wylsford, William Fauntleroy, John Kynton 1513 William Fauntleroy, John Kynton, John Thornden 1514 John Thornden, Lawrence Stubbs, Edmund Wylsford, Hugh Whytehead 1515 Edmund Wylsford 1516 Lawrence Stubbs 1517 Richard Duck or Doke 1518 Richard Duck or Doke 1519 Richard Barnack, Richard Duck or Doke 1520 William Broke or Brook, Richard Benger 1521 Richard Benger 1522 Richard Benger 1523 Thomas Musgrave 1527 Martin Lyndsey, John Cottisford 1528 John Cottisford 1531 Henry White 1532 John Cottisford, William Tresham 1547 Walter Wright 1550 William Tresham 1551 Owen Oglethorpe 1552 James Brookes or Brooks, Richard Marshall 1553 Richard Marshall 1554 John Warner 1555 Richard Smyth 1556 William Tresham, Thomas Raynolds 1557 Thomas Raynolds, Thomas Whyte 1558 William Tresham 1559 John Warner 1560 Francis Babbington 1561 Francis Babbington 1562 Thomas Whyte 1564 John Kennall 1567 Thomas Cowper 1570 Thomas Cowper 1571 Lawrence Humphrey 1576 Herbert Westfaling 1577 William Cole 1578 Martin Culpepper 1579 Tobias Matthew 1580 Arthur Yeldard 1581 William James 1582 Robert Hovenden 1583 Thomas Thornton 1584 John Underhill 1585 Edmund Lilly 1586 Daniel Bernard 1587 Francis Wyllis 1588 Martin Heton 1589 Nicholas Bond 1590 William James 1592 Nicholas Bond 1593 Edmund Lilly 1596 Thomas Ravys 1598 Thomas Singleton 1599 Thomas Thornton
17th century	1600 George Abbot 1601 George Ryves 1602 John Howson 1603 George Abbot 1604 John Williams 1605 George Abbot 1606 Henry Airay 1607 John King 1611 Thomas Singleton 1614 William Goodwyn 1616 Arthur Lake 1617 William Goodwyn 1619 John Prideaux 1621 William Piers 1624 John Prideaux 1626 William Juxon 1628 Accepted Frewen 1630 William Smyth 1632 Brian Duppa 1634 Robert Pincke 1636 Richard Baylie 1638 Accepted Frewen 1640 Christopher Potter 1641 John Prideaux 1642 John Prideaux in absentia (duties performed by Robert Pincke and then John Tolson as Pro-Vice-Chancellors) 1643 John Tolson, Robert Pincke 1645 Samuel Fell 1648 Edward Reynolds 1650 Daniel Greenwood 1652 John Owen 1657 John Conant 1660 Paul Hood 1661 Richard Baylie 1662 Walter Blandford 1664 Robert Say 1666 John Fell 1669 Peter Mews 1673 Ralph Bathurst 1676 Henry Clerk 1677 John Nicholas 1679 Timothy Halton 1682 John Lloyd 1685 Timothy Halton 1686 John Venn 1687 Gilbert Ironside 1689 Jonathan Edwards 1692 Henry Aldrich 1695 Fitzherbert Adams 1697 John Meare 1698 William Paynter
18th century	1700 Roger Mander 1702 William Delaune 1706 William Lancaster 1710 Thomas Brathwait 1712 Bernard Gardiner 1715 John Baron 1718 Robert Shippen 1723 John Mather 1728 Edward Butler 1732 William Holmes 1735 Stephen Niblett 1738 Theophilus Leigh 1741 Walter Hodges 1744 Euseby Isham 1747 John Purnell 1750 John Browne 1753 George Huddesford 1756 Thomas Randolph 1759 Joseph Browne 1765 David Durell 1768 Nathan Wetherell 1772 Thomas Fothergill 1776 George Horne 1780 Samuel Dennis 1784 Joseph Chapman 1788 John Cooke 1792 John Wills 1796 Scrope Berdmore 1797 Edmund Isham 1798 Michael Marlow
19th century	1802 Whittington Landon 1806 Henry Richards 1807 John Parsons 1810 John Cole 1814 Thomas Lee 1818 Frodsham Hodson 1820 George William Hall 1824 Richard Jenkyns 1828 John Collier Jones 1832 George Rowley 1836 Ashhurst Turner Gilbert 1840 Philip Wynter 1844 Benjamin Parsons Symons 1848 Frederick Charles Plumptre 1852 Richard Lynch Cotton 1856 David Williams 1858 Francis Jeune 1862 John Prideaux Lightfoot 1866 Frances Knyvett Leighton 1870 Henry George Liddell 1874 James Edwards Sewell 1878 Evan Evans 1882 Benjamin Jowett 1886 James Bellamy 1890 Henry Boyd 1894 John Richard Magrath 1898 Sir William Reynell Anson 1899 Thomas Fowler
20th century	1901 David Binning Monro 1904 William Walter Merry 1906 Herbert Warren 1910 Charles Buller Heberden 1913 Thomas Banks Strong 1917 Herbert Edward Douglas Blakiston 1920 Lewis Richard Farnell 1923 Joseph Wells 1926 Francis William Pember 1929 Frederick Homes Dudden 1932 Francis John Lys 1935 Alexander Dunlop Lindsay 1938 George Stuart Gordon 1941 Sir William David Ross 1944 Sir Richard Winn Livingstone 1947 William Teulon Swan Stallybrass 1948 The Very Reverend John Lowe 1951 Sir Cecil Maurice Bowra 1954 Alic Halford Smith 1957 John Cecil Masterman 1958 Thomas Sherrer Ross Boase 1960 Arthur Lionel Pugh Norrington 1962 Walter Fraser Oakeshott 1964 Kenneth Clinton Wheare 1966 John Norman Davidson Kelly 1966 Kenneth Turpin 1969 Alan Bullock, Lord Bullock of Leafield 1973 Sir John Habakkuk 1977 Sir Rex Richards 1981 Sir Geoffrey Warnock 1985 Lord Neill of Bladen 1989 Sir Richard Southwood 1993 Sir Peter North 1997 Sir Colin Lucas
21st century	2004 John Hood 2009 Andrew D. Hamilton 2016 Louise Richardson 2023 Irene Tracey

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