In philosophy, William Thomas Jones (1910-c.1990) was an American philosopher noted for his five-volume A History of Western Philosophy, the first volume of which devotes considerable discussion to the formation of Greek atomic theory, e.g. Democritus, Empedocles, Epicurus, Lucretius, Heraclitus, and the so-called “atomists” in general.
Education
Jones was a professor of philosophy at Pomona College and California Institute of Technology. He was awarded the Guggenheim fellowship in 1958. [2]
Quotes
The following are noted quotes:
“The only ontological difference between men and say, billiard balls is the degree of complexity in the groups of atoms involved. A billiard ball is being bombarded by atoms from the cabbage just as I am, but it does not perceive the cabbage. Why? Because none of its atoms happen to be grouped into that configuration of atoms we call a mind.”
— William Jones (1969), The History of Western Philosophy, Volume 1: The Classical Mind
References
1. Jones, William T. (1969). A History of Western Philosophy, Volume 1: The Classical Mind (pg. 94). Harcourt, Brace & World.
2. List of Guggenheim Fellowships awarded in 1958 – Wikipedia.
Further reading
● Jones, William T. (1969). A History of Western Philosophy, Volume 2: The Medieval Mind. Harcourt, Brace & World.
● Jones, William T. (1969). A History of Western Philosophy, Volume 3: Hobbes to Hume. Harcourt, Brace & World.
● Jones, William T. (1975). A History of Western Philosophy, Volume 4: Kant and the Nineteenth Century. Harcourt, Brace & World.
● Jones, William T. (1975). A History of Western Philosophy, Volume 5: The Twentieth Century of Quine and Derrida. Harcourt, Brace & World.
External links
● Jones, W.T. (William Thomas) (1910-) – WorldCat Identities.
