Robert Lucien Wokler (1942-2006)
Dublin Core
Title
Robert Lucien Wokler (1942-2006)
Subject
Robert Lucien Wokler was born in Auch, near Toulouse, in 1942 and died of cancer in 2006, aged 63.
He was a leading interpreter of 18th century political thought, especially the political thought of J-J. Rousseau. Cosmopolitan by background and inclination, his academic carreer principally took place at universities in Britain. His singular contribution to scholarship lay in demonstrating how the political thought of the Enlightenment was connected to developments in anthropology, linguistics and music. His writings skillfully combined erudition and insight with a deep sympathy for the intellectual culture and the people about which he wrote. He saw in the Enlightenment a profound reaction to experiences of religiously-inspired violence, experiences all too similar to the events of his own time (he was an outspoken advocate for intervention against genocide in Bosnia). He believed that the Enlightenment's calls for toleration and personal freedom, and its opposition to sectarianism and fanaticism, remained urgently relevant in his own time.
He was a leading interpreter of 18th century political thought, especially the political thought of J-J. Rousseau. Cosmopolitan by background and inclination, his academic carreer principally took place at universities in Britain. His singular contribution to scholarship lay in demonstrating how the political thought of the Enlightenment was connected to developments in anthropology, linguistics and music. His writings skillfully combined erudition and insight with a deep sympathy for the intellectual culture and the people about which he wrote. He saw in the Enlightenment a profound reaction to experiences of religiously-inspired violence, experiences all too similar to the events of his own time (he was an outspoken advocate for intervention against genocide in Bosnia). He believed that the Enlightenment's calls for toleration and personal freedom, and its opposition to sectarianism and fanaticism, remained urgently relevant in his own time.
Date
1971
Description
Picture taken in Berkeley Rose Garden, 1971
Identifier
IHA/Wokler/639
Collection
Citation
“Robert Lucien Wokler (1942-2006),” Intellectual History Archive, accessed March 8, 2026, https://arts.st-andrews.ac.uk/intellectualhistory/items/show/639.