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Twenty Second Annual Darwin College Lecture Series 2007

IDENTITY

Lecture 6   :   23 February

IDENTITY AND THE MIND

Raymond Tallis

Manchester University

Biography   |   Abstract  |   Printable Version  

Biography

Raymond Tallis trained as a doctor at the University of Oxford and St. Thomas's Hospital qualifying in 1970. Since 1987 he has been Professor of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Manchester and a consultant physician in Health Care of the Elderly in Salford. In March 2006, he took early retirement to become a full-time writer. Prior to his retirement, he had responsibility for acute and rehabilitation patients and took part in the on call rota for acute medical emergencies. He also ran a unique specialist epilepsy service for older people. Amongst his 200 or so medical publications are two major textbooks - The Clinical Neurology of Old Age (Wiley, 1988) and the comprehensive Textbook of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology (Harcourt Brace, co-edited with Howard Fillitt, 6th edition, 2003). Most of his research publications are in the field of neurology of old age and neurological rehabilitation. He has published original articles in Nature Medicine, Lancet and other leading journals. In recent years, two of his papers have been the subject of leading articles in Lancet. In 2000 he was elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in recognition of his contribution to medical research and in 2002 was awarded the Dhole Eddlestone Prize for his contribution to the medical literature on elderly people. Over the last 20 years, he has published fiction, three volumes of poetry, and over a dozen books on the philosophy of mind, philosophical anthropology, literary theory, the nature of art and cultural criticism. Together these books offer a critique of current predominant intellectual trends and an alternative understanding of human consciousness, the nature of language and of what it is to be a human being. For this work, he has been awarded two honorary degrees: DLItt (Hon Causa) from the University of Hull in 1997; and LittD (Hon Causa) at the University of Manchester 2002. He has just completed Unthinkable Thought. The Enduring Significance of Parmenides which examines the nature and origin of the cognitive revolution the inaugurated Western thought. His current work in progress - My Head. A Portrait in a Philosophical Mirror - reflects on the mystery of embodiment. He makes regular appearances on the festival circuit (Hay, Edinburgh, Cheltenham) and lectures widely. In 2004, he was identified in Prospect Magazine as one of the top 100 public intellectuals in the United Kingdom.

The lectures are given at 5.30 p.m. in The Lady Mitchell Hall, Sidgwick Avenue, with an adjacent overflow theatre with live TV coverage. Each lecture is typically attended by 600 people so you must arrive early to ensure a place.