T.H. Green
modernBritish Idealism1836 – 1882
Thomas Hill Green (1836–1882) was a British Idealist philosopher and political theorist at Oxford who challenged the prevailing empiricism of his day. Drawing on Kant and Hegel, he argued that consciousness and relations presuppose a universal spiritual principle, and he applied his idealist ethics to advocate for progressive social reform.
Notable Achievements
1
Founded the British Idealist movement at Oxford, influencing a generation of philosophers
2
Developed a critique of empiricism in his lengthy introduction to Hume's Treatise
3
Articulated a theory of the eternal consciousness as the ground of all relations in Prolegomena to Ethics
4
Pioneered positive liberty theory, arguing the state should enable human flourishing
5
Influenced liberal political reform in Victorian Britain through philosophy of citizenship