11 Facts About John Passmore

John Passmore was born on 9 September 1914 in Manly, Sydney, where he grew up.

John Passmore originally aspired to be a school teacher, but the terms of his employment required him to do coursework in philosophy, a discipline which was to absorb him.

John Passmore subsequently graduated from the University of Sydney with first-class honours in English literature and philosophy whilst studying with a view to become a secondary-school teacher.

John Passmore was a Foundation Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities in 1969.

John Passmore subsequently lectured in England, the United States, Mexico, Japan, and in various European countries.

John Passmore served as a director and then later as governor of the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust.

John Passmore was as much a historian of ideas as a philosopher, and his scholarship always paid careful attention to the complex historical context of philosophical problems.

John Passmore published about twenty books, many of which have been translated.

Philosopher Frank Jackson notes that John Passmore "shaped public debate and opened up philosophy and history of ideas to the wider world".

John Passmore was very skeptical about attempts to attribute intrinsic value to nature, and his preferred position was of valuing nature in terms of what it contributes to the flourishing of sentient creatures.

John Passmore described himself as a "pessimistic humanist" who regarded neither human beings nor human societies as perfectible.