John Robert Jones

For John Robert Jones the science fiction writer, see John Dalmas.

Plaque on his house in Pwllheli: "J. R. Jones, philosopher, grew up in this house."

John Robert Jones (4 September 1911 – 3 June 1970), was a Welsh philosopher.[1]

He was born in Pwllheli, and went to school there before going on to study philosophy at University of Wales, Aberystwyth in 1929.[2] He went on to take his D.Phil. at Balliol College, Oxford. He returned to Aberystwyth to lecture in philosophy, and in 1952 was appointed Professor of Philosophy at University of Wales, Swansea. In 1961 he was visiting professor at Chapel Hill University, North Carolina. On his return to Wales, he became more politically active, speaking out against the investiture of Charles, Prince of Wales, in 1969, resigning from the Gorsedd of Bards in protest.

As a philosopher, he was influenced by Wittgenstein and Simone Weil. His writings dealt mainly with three problems: the nature of the self, the nature of perception, and the nature of universals.

Works

• Yr Argyfwng Gwacter Ystyr (1964)
• Prydeindod (1966)
• A rhaid i'r iaith ein gwahanu? (1967)
• Ni fyn y taeog mo'i ryddhau (1968)
• Yr ewyllys i barhau (1969)
• Gwaedd yng Nghymru (1970)
• Ac Onide (1970)

References

1. Mary Beynon Davies (2001). "Jones, John Robert (1911-1970), philosopher and patriot". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
2. Dictionary of Twentieth-Century British Philosophers. Bloomsbury Academic. 2005. p. 493.