Book review: New British Philosophy: the interviews edited by Julian Baggini and Jeremy Stangroom —

Where have all the philosophers gone? Asked to name a living philosopher, most educated people in Britain might come up with Jacques Derrida. Ask them for something they know about contemporary philosophy, and they might venture the opinion that Derrida is “the one who talks nonsense”. The early 20th century witnessed a bumper crop of great figures such as Ludwig Wittgenstein, Bertrand Russell, Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger. Less resounding but still significant contributions were made mid-century by the likes of Hilary Putnam, Willard Quine, Saul Kripke and others. However, there is little sign of anyone under the age of 40 ready to take their place today. If there are any candidates to emerge in this country, they may well be found in the pages of New British Philosophy, an absorbing collection of interviews with 16 of the nation’s rising stars. Many of them are the right side of middle age and primed to produce their best work. New Statesman