Bryan Magee

Bryan Magee
Magee in 1987
Member of Parliament
for Leyton
In office
28 February 1974 – 13 May 1983
Preceded byPatrick Gordon Walker
Succeeded byHarry Cohen
Personal details
BornBryan Edgar Magee
(1930-04-12)12 April 1930
Hoxton, London, England
Died26 July 2019(2019-07-26) (aged 89)
Headington, Oxford, England
PartyLabour (1958–1982)
Social Democratic (1982–1983)
Spouse
Ingrid Söderlund
(m. 1954, divorced)
Children1
Academic background
Education
Academic work
EraContemporary philosophy
RegionWestern philosophy
School or traditionRevival of transcendental idealism
InstitutionsBalliol College, Oxford
Main interestsMetaphysics, epistemology, history of philosophy

Bryan Edgar Magee (/məˈɡ/; 12 April 1930 – 26 July 2019) was a British philosopher, broadcaster, politician, and author, known for bringing philosophy to a popular audience.

Magee influenced popular culture with his efforts to make philosophy accessible to the layman, especially as a broadcaster on the BBC, interviewing a number of leading philosophers. In parallel, he was interested in politics and was elected as a Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP) for the Leyton parliament constituency in the February 1974 UK general election. He also wrote books, including The Philosophy of Schopenhauer, first published in 1983, and revised in 1997. His interests included the life, thought, and works of the composer Richard Wagner.