Departmental news

We are deeply saddened to share the news that Professor David Miller, Reader in Philosophy has passed away.

David taught in the department from 1969 until his retirement in 2007. He was best known for work in logic and methodology, including fervent support and development of some of Popper’s work on scientific method.

According to Karl Popper “If the many, the specialists, gain the day, it will be the end of science as we know it - of great science.” In one sense, the philosopher and logician David Miller was a specialist, devoting much of his enormous mental energy to mathematical logic—in particular, to its applications to scientific methodology, through sharpening and developing what he took to be Popper’s most significant insights in that area. However, pursuing that specific project demands a generalist’s ability to take a synoptic view of the sciences. David was no narrow specialist.

Always meticulous, and always rigorously critical, David had broad interests within and without philosophy, together with an admirable willingness to direct his disciplined attention in a variety of directions. To pick two examples of his breadth of interests, he co-authored a wonderful book on croquet (Croquet and How to Play It, with Rupert Thorp) and, at the behest of some his students, he wrote a wry but respectful review of Alan Badiou’s Being and Event, focusing on Badiou’s circuitous reflections on set theory. David was very funny, and a keen appreciator of others’ humour, with a special fondness for the works of P. G. Wodehouse.

David was educated in Suffolk, at Woodbridge School, and then Peterhouse, Cambridge. In 1964, he began to study Logic and Scientific Method at the London School of Economics, where he became one of Karl Popper’s research assistants. David joined the Department of Philosophy at the University of Warwick in 1969, to help develop its Mathematics and Philosophy programme, remaining in the Department until his retirement in 2007.

The Mathematics and Philosophy degree had a small cohort—it takes a student with rare ability to endure that programme, but, as a colleague recalls, “those that did found themselves taught by a scholar with an equally rare passion for inducting young minds into some of the more challenging areas of philosophy.” A demanding teacher of logic, David was also hugely supportive of anyone willing to think carefully with him, and the many generations of students he taught at the University of Warwick remember him with great fondness. Unless he had private matters to deal with, he would always work with his office door open. He was available to all-comers who sought his advice. Some others followed his example, giving rise to cross-corridor chats and collegial repartee which helped to make the Department especially welcoming to students and new members of staff.

David was a key linchpin in the global network of scholars engaging with and seeking to develop Popper’s work on the philosophy of science and political philosophy. As such, he did numerous services to the wider profession, including serving as Honorary Treasurer of the British Society for the Philosophy of Science and Secretary of the British Logic Colloquium.

In a series of papers in the 1970s, David explored problems with Popper's formal definition of verisimilitude, the evaluation of some false claims as being closer to being true than other false claims. The notion of verisimilitude was central to Popper’s account of scientific inquiry as leading to theories which are strictly speaking false but as nonetheless making progress by improving their proximity to truth. However, prior to David’s work, the difficulties with Popper’s account of verisimilitude had been largely ignored. Since then, a substantial literature has developed, including David’s own important contributions, aiming to improve on Popper’s attempts to account for this centrally important notion.

David’s most important book, Critical Rationalism: A Restatement and Defence, published in 1994, seeks to develop and secure an approach to scientific knowledge growing out of Popper’s earlier work, according to which, as David put it in a later summary, in science, “there exist no grounds whatever, conclusive or inconclusive, for anything that we know.” Rejecting “the ruinous doctrine that all rational opinion is justified opinion…the critical rationalist does not doubt that there is truth to be had, but thinks that it may be had only by making a lucky guess.”

Academic and professional services colleagues recall with fondness how David’s meticulousness extended to his dress—well-polished shoes and bow tie—and his approach to academic administration. This included his unwavering and oft repeated insistence that first year students on the Mathematics and Philosophy degree should all be obliged to fill in a transfer of degree form from Mathematics and Philosophy (year 1) to Mathematics and Philosophy (year 2) at the end of year 1. David’s sense of humour also made a showing here: as examinations secretary, he set assessed work submission deadlines at 3am, which students regularly and naturally misunderstood, typically handing in their work almost twelve hours after the deadline.

His witty interjections were infamous. A visiting proponent of Wittgenstein’s philosophy froze during a Departmental colloquium presentation, unable to come up with a precise example to illustrate their claims. David immediately stumped up with, “Game? Or maybe rope?”. At another colloquium presentation, a speaker made the claim that everyone is afraid of death. David interrupted, “I’m not.” A slightly surreal moment ensued. The speaker made a pistol shape with his hand, pointed it at David, and shouted "BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!" David calmly responded: "That's not the same thing." And to the then Head of Mathematics at the University of Warwick, he objected that mathematicians cared only about students who were bashing their heads against the ceiling, “whereas we philosophers have trouble even getting up off the floor”.

David died on 20 November 2024, aged 82. He is survived by his sons, Alex and James, and his grandchildren, Oscar and Tommy.

If you would like to send any memories of David or thoughts to the family, please do so via inmemorydavidmiller@gmail.com.

We are delighted to share some brilliant news from one of our PGR students - Raad Khair Allah, has successfully published a critical reflection on Syria's war. This important piece was featured in a special issue by the Institute of Advanced Study at Leicester University.

 A soldier’s journey: Alice Kelly, Assistant Professor of Literature and History, writes for The Conversation about how a new World War I memorial can make the war visible to generations of Americans unfamiliar with it – and will help the rest of us remember it anew.

Many congratulations to Almila Dükel, who won second-prize in the essay competition organised by the Jane Austen Society of America, on the topic of 'Jane Austen's Novels: Still Relevant after 200 Years?': https://jasna.org/programs/essay-contest/ 

Her essay on '“There Is No Enjoyment Like Reading”: Examining Jane Austen’s Relevance Through Her Depictions of Reading’ was awarded second prize. It can be read here: https://jasna.org/publications-2/essay-contest-winning-entries/2024/dukel/

Congratulations to Siyani Sheth, who will start studying English & Theatre this October for her success at the Edinburgh Fringe with the play ’The Expulsion of Exulansis’, which she not only wrote, directed, and casted, but also acted in. The play has received glowing reviews from both press and audience. As Kate Saffin wrote in ’The Fringe Review’: 'The Expulsion of Exulansis is a powerful piece of new writing telling an important story in a clear, unfussy way by a talented young cast. It is an outstanding production that deserves a wide audience—an unmissable gem of the Fringe.’

The Expulsion of Exulansis

Many congratulations to all who have been recognised for their teaching via the recent WATE Awards.

Nancy Haijing Jiang and Michael Meeuwis were both short-listed and in the postgraduate group, Owain Burrell and Andy Irwin received a Commendation, and Elizabeth Sharrock was declared a winner.

WATE Postgraduates who teach

The following event will be moderated by an Emeritus Professor from your department, Professor Tony Howard.

The event is a Panel Discussion, entitled 'Transformations – Shakespeare’s theatre in Poland and the woman’s voice’ and will feature appearances by Dame Janet Suzman and Helena Kaut-Howson as well as academics Professor Tiffany Stern (The Shakespeare Institute), Professor Elizabeth Schafer (Royal Holloway University of London) and Aneta Mancewicz (Royal Holloway University of London).

During the discussion, amongst others:

· Helena Kaut-Howson, will talk to Professor Elizabeth Schafer (author of "Ms-Directing Shakespeare : women direct Shakespeare") about her revolutionary staging of award-winning actor Kathryn Hunter as King Lear in the 1997 production of the play at the Young Vic when Kathryn became the first English-speaking woman to take on the titular role of King Lear.

· Both Dame Janet Suzman and Helena Kaut-Howson will also speak about their extraordinary careers and will discuss the ways in which Shakespeare's writing about women has released innumerable possibilities for artists' self-expression that continue to challenge centuries of gender stereotyping and social limitation.

· There will be a dramatic performance from actress Hara Yannas of one of Poland’s most recognisable literary texts inspired by Shakespeare, the beautiful and almost forgotten one-woman play, 'The Death of Ophelia' written by Stanislaw Wyspianski. Dame Janet Suzman will also read from another Polish classic, play 'Cleopatra and Caesar' by Cyprian Kamil Norwid, which takes its inspiration from Shakespeare's play 'Antony and Cleopatra'.

The discussion will be moderated Professor Tony Howard (Emeritus Professor Warwick University)

The event is FREE but Tickets must be booked via this link, which also contains a full description of the event:

TRANSFORMATIONS - Shakespeare's theatre in Poland and the Woman's voice (Panel Discussion) at Stratford Town Hall event tickets from TicketSourceLink opens in a new window

We very much hope you will be able to join us and that the event will provide interesting insights on a different aspect of Shakespeare.

English & Comparative Literary Studies continues strong as it has been listed 6th in the Complete University Guide for 2025: https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings/english

Congratulations to Dr Dominic Dean. Now based at the University of Sussex, he is an alumnus of Warwick – completing all three degrees with us – BA hons in English and Theatre, an MA in English Literature and then a PhD supervised by former professor Thomas Docherty. His book, Killing Children in British Fiction: Thatcherism to Brexit is being published with SUNY Press: https://sunypress.edu/Books/K/Killing-Children-in-British-Fiction