Patrick Gardiner

Patrick Lancaster Gardiner (17 March 1922 – 24 June 1997) was a British academic philosopher and a Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford. Born in Chelsea, London, he was the son of artist Clive Gardiner and grandson of editor Alfred George Gardiner. Educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford, he served in the Army during World War II before returning to Oxford to pursue postgraduate studies. His B.Litt thesis became his first book, *The Nature of Historical Explanation* (1952), which established the concept of an analytic philosophy of history. Gardiner held academic positions at Wadham College, St Antony's College, and Magdalen College, Oxford. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1985. His other notable works include *Schopenhauer* (1963) and *Kierkegaard* (1988), which were praised for their insightful analysis of these philosophers' works. He married Susan Booth in 1955 and had two daughters. Gardiner died in Oxford in 1997.