Brian O'Shaughnessy (philosopher)

Brian Joseph O'Shaughnessy
Born	10 September 1925 Kew, Victoria, Australia
Died	7 July 2010(2010-07-07) (aged 84)
Occupation(s)	Philosopher, writer

Brian Joseph O'Shaughnessy (10 September 1925 – 7 July 2010) was an Australian philosopher of mind, who lived in London and taught at King's College London. He published papers on the nature of physical action and the will, at a time when this was quite unfashionable.

Biography

He was born in Kew, a suburb of Melbourne in Australia, where his father was a doctor. He studied at Xavier College and then attended Melbourne University, firstly studying engineering before changing to philosophy. He graduated in 1950 and then went to England to continue his studies at Oxford University. He is buried in Highgate Cemetery in north London in the first section on the right immediately upon entering the Eastern Cemetery. His wife Edna O'Shaughnessy was buried with him in 2022.

Major works

• The Will: A Dual Aspect Theory (1980) Cambridge University Press ISBN 0-521-22680-5
• Consciousness and the World (2000, Oxford University Press)