author
H. A. (Harold Arthur) Prichard
1871–1947
A leading Oxford moral philosopher, he became known for arguing that duty cannot be reduced to self-interest or abstract theory. His work helped shape 20th-century debates about intuition, obligation, and the question of why we should be moral at all.
1 Audiobook
Kant's Theory of Knowledge
by H. A. (Harold Arthur) Prichard
About the author
Born in London in 1871, he studied at Clifton College and then at New College, Oxford, where he began in mathematics before turning to classics and philosophy. He spent most of his academic life at Oxford and later served as White's Professor of Moral Philosophy from 1928 to 1937.
He is best remembered as a major figure in the Oxford intuitionist tradition. In ethics, he argued that moral obligation is not something we derive from consequences or personal advantage, but something we recognize more directly. His 1912 essay Does Moral Philosophy Rest on a Mistake? remains one of his best-known works and helped keep him in philosophical discussion long after his lifetime.
Alongside ethics, he also wrote on knowledge, perception, and Aristotle. Although his style could be demanding, his influence on later moral philosophy was considerable, and he is still read by readers interested in duty, intuition, and the foundations of ethical thought.