Richard Stanley Peters

Richard Stanley Peters (31 October 1919 – 30 December 2011) was an English philosopher. His work belongs mainly to the areas of political theory, philosophical psychology, and philosophy of education. Peters was born in Mussoorie, British Raj, and spent his childhood in England. He was a pupil at Sidcot School. His private tutor was Eric Blair (George Orwell). As a conscientious objector in the Second World War, he served in the Friends Ambulance Unit and with the Friends Relief Service. He married Margaret Lee Duncan in 1942, with whom he had one son and two daughters. Peters studied at The Queen's College, Oxford, receiving his Bachelor of Arts in 1942. He began teaching Latin at Sidcot School in 1944. He became a lecturer at Birkbeck College, University of London, where he also studied philosophy and psychology, earning his PhD in 1949. He then held full-time lecturer and reader positions until 1962. In 1961, he was a guest professor at Harvard University. In 1962, he moved to Australian National University. From 1962 until his retirement in 1983, Peters was Professor of the Philosophy of Education at the Institute of Education, University of London, serving as Dean in 1971. His influence on the philosophy of education, particularly through his examination of the concept of education using analytic philosophy and his exploration of normative and cognitive aspects, was significant worldwide. His notable works include 'Ethics and Education' and 'The Concept of Motivation'.