Penelope Mackie

Summary

Penelope Mackie (1953–2022) (/ˈmæki/) was a British philosopher who specialised in metaphysics and philosophical logic, and was best known for her work on essence and modality. Mackie spent the majority of her career in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Nottingham (2004–22),[1][2] having also held appointments at the University of Birmingham, Virginia Commonwealth University, and New College, Oxford.[3]

Life and career edit

Mackie was the daughter of Australian philosopher J. L. Mackie. She was educated at Somerville College, Oxford, matriculating in 1971,[4] where she completed in her BPhil in Philosophy (thesis title: 'Identity and Continuity') in 1978.[5] Her DPhil was awarded in 1987 for the thesis, How Things Might Have Been: A Study in Essentialism.[6]

Mackie worked in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Nottingham from 2004 until her death in 2022. She was the head of department from 2007 to 2010.[7] Mackie was also a lecturer at the University of Birmingham (1994–2004); a fixed-term fellow at New College, Oxford (1990–1994); assistant professor of philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University (1987–1990); a visiting lecturer at the University of Maryland (1986–1987); and a lecturer at various Oxford colleges.

Selected works edit

Book edit

How Things Might Have Been (Oxford University Press, 2006)

Articles edit

Sortals, Timelessness, and Transcendental Truth. Aristotelian Society Supplementary Volume 95 (2021)

Can Metaphysical Modality Be Based on Essence? In: Metaphysics, Meaning, and Modality: Themes from Kit Fine (2020)

Property Dualism and Substance Dualism. Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society 111 (2011)

Fatalism, Incompatibilism, and the Power to Do Otherwise. Noûs 37 (2003)

Identity, Time, and Necessity. Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society 98 (1998)

Sortal Concepts and Essential Properties. The Philosophical Quarterly 44 (1994)

Causing, Delaying, and Hastening: Do Rains Cause Fires? Mind 101 (1992)

Essence, Origin and Bare Identity. Mind 96 (1987)

References edit

  1. ^ "PHILOS-L Archive: Death: Penelope Mackie". listserv.liv.ac.uk. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  2. ^ "In Memoriam: Penelope Mackie (19??-2022)". Leiter Reports: A Philosophy Blog. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  3. ^ Jago, Mark (29 December 2022). "Obituary: Penelope Mackie (1953-2022)". Daily Nous. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  4. ^ CELEBRATING THE PAST - INVESTING IN THE FUTURE: Somerville College - Report for Donors (PDF) (Report). Somerville College, Oxford. 2012. p. 18. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  5. ^ "Identity and Continuity (1978)". solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  6. ^ "How Things Might Have Been (1987)". solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  7. ^ University of Nottingham: Department of Philosophy