The publication of the 1959 volume Words and Things ignited a sustained intellectual confrontation that spilled from the pages of The Times into a month-long public correspondence. As a scholar who navigated the intersections of sociology, social anthropology, and political philosophy, Ernest Gellner spent his career dismantling closed systems of thought through the rigorous application of critical rationalism.
Early Life and Exile
Born in Paris in 1925 to Austrian-Jewish parents from Bohemia, Gellner was raised in Prague, attending both Czech and English-language schools. In 1939, following the rise of Adolf Hitler, the family moved to the United Kingdom, where he attended St Albans Boys Modern School. He later secured a scholarship to Balliol College, Oxford. His studies were interrupted by service in the 1st Czechoslovak Armoured Brigade, including the Siege of Dunkirk, before he returned to Oxford to graduate with first class honours and the John Locke prize in 1947.
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Gellner began his formal teaching career in 1947 as an assistant to John Macmurray at the University of Edinburgh. By 1949, he joined the London School of Economics under Morris Ginsberg. He eventually attained the position of Professor of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method. In 1984, he transitioned to the University of Cambridge, serving as the William Wyse Professor of Social Anthropology and becoming a fellow of King's College. His final academic endeavors included heading the Centre for the Study of Nationalism in Prague.
Intellectual Contributions
His primary research interests encompassed nationalism, modernisation theory, and the philosophy of science. His doctoral work, completed in 1961, focused on the role of a Berber Zawiya. Beyond his classroom influence, he was recognized for works such as Thought and Change, published in 1965, and his 1988 analysis of Marxist regimes in State and Society in Soviet Thought. His writing frequently challenged evolutionary teleology, positioning him as a vocal opponent of systems he viewed as intellectually stagnant.
Fast facts
- Born: 1925, Montrouge
- Died: 1995, Prague
- Academic degree: Doctor of Philosophy
- Awards: Fellow of the British Academy
- Notable work: Words and Things (1959)
- Movement: Critical rationalism
Questions readers ask
What subjects did Ernest Gellner teach?
He was a professor of philosophy, logic, scientific method, and social anthropology.
Where did Gellner hold academic positions?
He held positions at the University of Edinburgh, the London School of Economics, the University of Cambridge, and the Central European University.
Achievements
- Fellow of the British Academy
- Held posts at London School of Economics and Political Science, University of Edinburgh and Central European University
- Fields: political philosophy, philosophy of science and social anthropology
