Desmond Clarke

Desmond M. Clarke (17 January 1942 – 4 September 2016) was an Irish author and professor of philosophy at University College Cork (UCC). His academic work centered on the history of philosophy and theories of science, with a notable interest in the writings of René Descartes. Clarke also engaged with contemporary issues such as church/state relations, human rights, and nationalism. Clarke received a Bachelor of Science from University College Cork, a Bachelor of Philosophy from KU Leuven, and a PhD from the University of Notre Dame. He served as a professor of philosophy at University College Cork until his retirement in 2007. He was also the founder and a general editor of the influential 'Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy' series, which published 76 volumes featuring new translations of philosophical texts from various languages. Clarke translated and provided introductions for Penguin editions of Descartes' works, including 'Meditations on First Philosophy' and 'Discourse on Method and Related Writings'. He passed away on September 4, 2016, in Dublin, Ireland.