Basil George Mitchell

Nolloth Professor of the Philosophy of the Christian Religion, Oxford

Morality: Religious and Secular

In his series of lectures, Mitchell wrestles with morality and theism. Through a critical examination of the theories of humanism, he concludes that non-religious moralities fail to meet the demands of the ‘traditional conscience’. He argues that morals are a matter of necessity and a product of human need, upheld by accepted ideas of personhood and relationality. As Western ideas of morality have been shaped by Christianity, Mitchell questions whether this can be maintained in a secular climate.

Biography

Basil George Mitchell was born on 9 April 1917 in Bath, England. Considering himself a ‘philosopher thinking about Christian theology’, he clarified the claims of traditional Christian theism and critiqued liberal humanism. Following his undergraduate studies, he entered the Royal Navy in 1940. Briefly a lecturer at Christ Church, Oxford in 1946, he was Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy at Keble College from 1947 to 1967. In 1968, Mitchell became Nolloth Professor of the Philosophy of the Christian Religion and Fellow of Oriel College.

Fellow of the British Academy in 1983, he delivered many distinguished lecture series including the Nathanial Taylor Lectures at Yale, the Bishop Hurst Philosophy Lectures at American University, the Martin Lectures at the University of Hong Kong, and the Sarum Lectures at Oxford. Important works include Faith and Logic: Oxford Essays in Philosophical Theology (1957), Law, Morality and Religion in a Secular Society (1967), The Philosophy of Religion (1971), The Justification of Religious Belief (1973), How to Play Theological Ping-Pong: And Other Essays on Faith and Reason (1990), and Faith and Criticism (1994).

Published/Archival Resources

Published as Morality: Religious and Secular.