John R. Searle

John Rogers Searle (July 31, 1932 – September 17, 2025) was an American philosopher widely noted for his contributions to the philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, and social philosophy. He began teaching at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1959 and held positions there until his emeritus status was revoked in June 2019 after being found to have engaged in sexual harassment and retaliation. Searle's academic journey began at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, followed by Oxford University where he earned his BA, MA, and DPhil. He was an early supporter of the Free Speech Movement at Berkeley. His philosophical work is renowned for its exploration of speech acts, influenced by J. L. Austin and Ludwig Wittgenstein. His "Chinese room" argument is a famous critique of strong artificial intelligence. Searle also developed theories on intentionality, consciousness (advocating for biological naturalism), and social reality, notably through his concept of "institutional facts" and the formula "X counts as Y in C". His work on rationality challenged classical models, emphasizing the gap between reasons and actions and the role of free will. Searle's views on social ontology led to debates with scholars like Tony Lawson. Politically, he was involved in student activism against Joseph McCarthy and later supported a more interventionist foreign policy. He also faced sexual assault allegations, leading to the revocation of his emeritus status. Searle received numerous accolades, including the Jean Nicod Prize, the National Humanities Medal, and the Mind & Brain Prize.