David Pears

David Francis Pears, FBA (8 August 1921 – 1 July 2009) was a British philosopher renowned for his work on Ludwig Wittgenstein. He was educated at Westminster School and Balliol College, Oxford, where his studies in classics were interrupted by World War II. After serving in the Royal Artillery, an injury sustained during training potentially saved his life. Upon returning to Oxford, an accidental fall led him to discover Wittgenstein's Tractatus, which ignited his passion for philosophy. He held positions at Christ Church, Oxford, and Corpus Christi College, Oxford, eventually becoming a professor of philosophy and later a professor emeritus. Pears is best known for his 1961 English translation of the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, co-authored with Brian McGuinness, which became a standard text.