Kathy Wilkes

Kathleen Vaughan Wilkes, known as Kathy, was an English philosopher and academic born on June 23, 1946. She died on August 21, 2003, at the age of 57. Wilkes made significant contributions to the philosophy of mind through her major works and professional journal articles. She was also recognized for her role in reforming education systems in former Communist countries after 1990. During her time at Oxford, she actively participated in secret activities supporting the education systems of Eastern Europe. In 1979, she began conducting secret seminars in Prague, demonstrating extraordinary courage in meeting with philosophers despite facing harassment and surveillance. She played a vital role in establishing the Jan Hus Foundation, which provided substantial support to the dissident community. Wilkes also facilitated the emigration of Czech philosopher Julius Tomin and his family to England. Later, she became chairman of the executive committee of the Inter-University Centre in Dubrovnik in 1986 and co-edited a journal that evolved into *International Studies in the Philosophy of Science*. Following the collapse of Communist regimes, she dedicated efforts to reforming academic standards in countries like Croatia, earning an honorary doctorate from the University of Zagreb. Her colleague Roger Scruton described her as embodying the virtues of an English gentleman, particularly her habit of concealing them. In recognition of her support for the network in former Communist countries, she was awarded the Commemorative Medal of the President of the Czech Republic in October 1998 by President Václav Havel. In 2021, an essay competition at her former school, Wycombe Abbey, was named in her honor.