author
A. E. (Alfred Edward) Taylor
1869–1945
A leading British idealist philosopher, he wrote with unusual clarity about Plato, ethics, religion, and the big questions of metaphysics. His books helped keep classical philosophy lively and accessible for modern readers.
2 Audiobooks
Aristotle
by A. E. (Alfred Edward) Taylor
Elements of metaphysics
by A. E. (Alfred Edward) Taylor
About the author
Born in Oundle, Northamptonshire, on 22 December 1869, Alfred Edward Taylor became one of the best-known British philosophers of his generation. He was educated at Kingswood School and New College, Oxford, and went on to teach moral philosophy at the University of St Andrews before later holding the chair of moral philosophy at the University of Edinburgh.
Taylor is best remembered for his work on idealism and for his studies of Plato and Socrates. He wrote across metaphysics, moral philosophy, and the philosophy of religion, combining close scholarship with a readable style that reached well beyond specialist audiences. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1911 and also served as president of the Aristotelian Society.
He died in Edinburgh on 31 October 1945. Readers still return to him for his thoughtful interpretations of Greek philosophy and for a voice that treats serious ideas as part of ordinary human life, not just academic debate.