Difference between revisions of "A.J. Ayer"
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{{person | {{person | ||
| − | |constitutes=philosopher, spook | + | |wikipedia=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._J._Ayer |
| + | |constitutes=philosopher,spook | ||
| + | |image=Alfred Jules Ayer.png | ||
| + | |interests= | ||
| + | |nationality=UK | ||
| + | |birth_date=29 October 1910 | ||
| + | |birth_place= | ||
| + | |death_date=27 June 1989 | ||
| + | |death_place= | ||
| + | |description=British spook and later Oxford professor | ||
| + | |parents= | ||
| + | |spouses= | ||
| + | |children= | ||
| + | |relatives= | ||
| + | |political_parties=Labour,Social Democratic Party | ||
| + | |alma_mater=Eton College,Christ Church (Oxford),University of Vienna | ||
| + | |employment={{job | ||
| + | |title=Professor of Logic | ||
| + | |start=1959 | ||
| + | |end=1978 | ||
| + | |employer=New College (Oxford) | ||
| + | |description=Also spook | ||
| + | }}{{job | ||
| + | |title=Professor of the Philosophy of Mind and Logic | ||
| + | |start=1946 | ||
| + | |end=1959 | ||
| + | |employer= University College London | ||
| + | |description=Also spook | ||
| + | }}{{job | ||
| + | |title=Intelligence operative | ||
| + | |start=1943 | ||
| + | |end=1945 | ||
| + | |employer=SOE | ||
| + | }}{{job | ||
| + | |title=Intelligence operative | ||
| + | |start=1941 | ||
| + | |end=1943 | ||
| + | |employer=British Security Co-ordination | ||
}} | }} | ||
| − | '''Alfred Jules Ayer''' | + | }} |
| + | '''Alfred Jules Ayer''' was a British spook and professor in philosophy at Oxford.<ref name=stanford>[http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ayer/ Alfred Jules Ayer], Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, accessed 19 May 2009.</ref> | ||
| + | ==Background== | ||
| + | Ayer was born in [[St John's Wood]], in north west London, to Jules Louis Cyprien Ayer and Reine (née Citroen), wealthy parents from [[continental Europe]]. His mother was from the Dutch-Jewish family that founded the [[Citroën]] car company in France; his father was a Swiss [[Calvinist]] financier who worked for the [[Rothschild family]], including for their bank and as secretary to Alfred Rothschild.<ref>https://archive.org/details/ajayerlife00roge</ref><ref>[[Anthony Quinton]], [https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/94p255.pdf Alfred Jules Ayer]. ''Proceedings of the British Academy'', '''94''' (1996), pp. 255–282.</ref><ref>https://www.nytimes.com/1989/06/29/world/c-a-j-ayer-dead-in-britain-at-78-philosopher-of-logical-positivism-914989.html</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Intelligence work== | ||
From October 1941 to March 1943, Ayer worked as a [[Special Operations Executive]] agent within [[British Security Co-ordination]] with cover symbol G.246, in the [[Political and Minorities Section]]. He worked on intelligence on [[Latin America]], particularly [[Argentina]] and [[Chile]].<ref>Thomas E. Mahl, Desperate Deception, Brassey's 1999, p.190.</ref> He later served with [[SOE]] in France.<ref>Stephen Dorril, [[MI6]], Touchstone 2002, p.478.</ref> | From October 1941 to March 1943, Ayer worked as a [[Special Operations Executive]] agent within [[British Security Co-ordination]] with cover symbol G.246, in the [[Political and Minorities Section]]. He worked on intelligence on [[Latin America]], particularly [[Argentina]] and [[Chile]].<ref>Thomas E. Mahl, Desperate Deception, Brassey's 1999, p.190.</ref> He later served with [[SOE]] in France.<ref>Stephen Dorril, [[MI6]], Touchstone 2002, p.478.</ref> | ||
In 1950, he attended the Berlin [[Congress for Cultural Freedom]] as a member of the British delegation, which was funded by the Foreign Office through the [[Information Research Department]].<ref>Frances Stonor Saunders, Who Paid the Piper, Granta Books, 2000, p.76.</ref> Along with [[Hugh Trevor-Roper]] he became a focus for opposition amongst participants to the militant anti-communism of the organisers.<ref>Hugh Wilford, Calling the Tune? The CIA, the British Left and the Cold War, Frank Cass, 2003, p.194.</ref> | In 1950, he attended the Berlin [[Congress for Cultural Freedom]] as a member of the British delegation, which was funded by the Foreign Office through the [[Information Research Department]].<ref>Frances Stonor Saunders, Who Paid the Piper, Granta Books, 2000, p.76.</ref> Along with [[Hugh Trevor-Roper]] he became a focus for opposition amongst participants to the militant anti-communism of the organisers.<ref>Hugh Wilford, Calling the Tune? The CIA, the British Left and the Cold War, Frank Cass, 2003, p.194.</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | Ayer was also involved in politics, including anti-[[Vietnam War]] activism, supporting the [[Labour Party]] (and later the [[Social Democratic Party]]), chairing the Campaign Against Racial Discrimination in Sport, and president of the [[Homosexual Law Reform Society]].<ref name=stanford/> He was known for his advocacy of humanism, and was the second president of the [[British Humanist Association]] (now known as Humanists UK). | ||
{{SMWDocs}} | {{SMWDocs}} | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
| − | |||
Latest revision as of 13:53, 5 May 2023
 A.J. Ayer    (philosopher, spook) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 29 October 1910 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 27 June 1989 (Age 78) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | UK | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Eton College, Christ Church (Oxford), University of Vienna | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Party | Labour, Social Democratic Party | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
British spook and later Oxford professor
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Alfred Jules Ayer was a British spook and professor in philosophy at Oxford.[1]
Background
Ayer was born in St John's Wood, in north west London, to Jules Louis Cyprien Ayer and Reine (née Citroen), wealthy parents from continental Europe. His mother was from the Dutch-Jewish family that founded the Citroën car company in France; his father was a Swiss Calvinist financier who worked for the Rothschild family, including for their bank and as secretary to Alfred Rothschild.[2][3][4]
Intelligence work
From October 1941 to March 1943, Ayer worked as a Special Operations Executive agent within British Security Co-ordination with cover symbol G.246, in the Political and Minorities Section. He worked on intelligence on Latin America, particularly Argentina and Chile.[5] He later served with SOE in France.[6]
In 1950, he attended the Berlin Congress for Cultural Freedom as a member of the British delegation, which was funded by the Foreign Office through the Information Research Department.[7] Along with Hugh Trevor-Roper he became a focus for opposition amongst participants to the militant anti-communism of the organisers.[8]
Ayer was also involved in politics, including anti-Vietnam War activism, supporting the Labour Party (and later the Social Democratic Party), chairing the Campaign Against Racial Discrimination in Sport, and president of the Homosexual Law Reform Society.[1] He was known for his advocacy of humanism, and was the second president of the British Humanist Association (now known as Humanists UK).
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References
- ↑ a b Alfred Jules Ayer, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, accessed 19 May 2009.
- ↑ https://archive.org/details/ajayerlife00roge
- ↑ Anthony Quinton, Alfred Jules Ayer. Proceedings of the British Academy, 94 (1996), pp. 255–282.
- ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/1989/06/29/world/c-a-j-ayer-dead-in-britain-at-78-philosopher-of-logical-positivism-914989.html
- ↑ Thomas E. Mahl, Desperate Deception, Brassey's 1999, p.190.
- ↑ Stephen Dorril, MI6, Touchstone 2002, p.478.
- ↑ Frances Stonor Saunders, Who Paid the Piper, Granta Books, 2000, p.76.
- ↑ Hugh Wilford, Calling the Tune? The CIA, the British Left and the Cold War, Frank Cass, 2003, p.194.
