The Orthogonal Bet David Edmonds on "Parfit"
Mar 4, 2026
David Edmonds, bestselling author and Philosophy Bites cohost, reflects on Derek Parfit in a lively conversation. He recounts how the biography began and his personal ties to Parfit and Janet Radcliffe Richards. They discuss Parfit’s views on personal identity, the teletransporter thought experiment, self-defeating moral theories, the non-identity problem, the repugnant conclusion, and life at All Souls College.
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Parfit's Kindness Came With Deep Self Absorption
- Parfit combined unprecedented kindness with marked selfishness, making him exceptionally benign yet often self-absorbed.
- That mix explains why he could be generous in philosophical mentorship yet decline emotionally important events due to work obsession.
Work Over People Even For Dying Friends
- Parfit declined visits even from dying friends because he prioritized work, famously skipping a reunion with Susan Hurley who had six months to live.
- A US academic reproached him: 'You're writing On What Matters. Well, this really matters.'
Parfit Became A Leading Philosopher Without A PhD
- Parfit transitioned from history to philosophy after a Harkness Fellowship exposed him to Rawls at Harvard, launching his philosophical career without formal philosophy degrees.
- Winning a seven-year All Souls fellowship let him read and write philosophy full-time and become 'Mr. Parfit' without a PhD.
