Desmond Lee
Encyclopedia
Sir
Henry Desmond Pritchard Lee (30 August 1908 – 8 December 1993), known as Desmond Lee, was an English
classical
scholar
specializing in ancient philosophy
who became a Fellow
and tutor
of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
, a lecturer in the University, and head master
successively of Clifton College
and Winchester College
, ending his career as President of Hughes Hall, Cambridge
.
Born in Nottingham
, the son of the Rev. Canon Henry Burgass Lee, the young Lee was educated at Arden House, then at Repton School
, where he held the George Denman
scholarship
, and finally at Corpus Christi College
, Cambridge
, where he was again a scholar and gained a Double First, with Firsts in Part 1 of the Classical Tripos
in 1928 and in Part 2 in 1930. He also gained a Charles Oldham scholarship.
While he was still an undergraduate at Cambridge, Lee became a friend of the Austria
n philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein
(1889–1951), in 1930 staying with the Wittgenstein family in Austria. Many years later, in editing Wittgenstein's Lectures: Cambridge, 1930-1932, Lee wrote an account of their friendship, which came to an end after the focus of Lee's academic career turned to ancient philosophy
. His other friends during this period included William Empson
.
Lee was elected a Fellow
of Corpus Christi in 1933. The same year, he was admitted to the Middle Temple
, but he did not go on to practice as a barrister
. From 1935 to 1948 he was also a college tutor
, from 1937 to 1948 a University Lecturer in Classics , and in 1944 he became a member of the University's Council of the Senate, serving until 1948. From 1941 until 1944, during the Second World War
, he also worked in the Regional Commissioner
's Office at Cambridge, assisting Will Spens
.
In 1948, by which time he had become Senior Tutor of his college, Lee was persuaded to go to Clifton College
as head master, and in 1954 proceeded from there to serve as head of Winchester College
, where he remained until 1968. In 1958–59 he was a member of the Anderson Committee on Grants to Students and was twice Chairman of the Headmasters' Conference, first in 1959–1960 and again in 1967.
In 1968 he returned to Cambridge as a Fellow of University College, which in 1973 changed its name to Wolfson
. In 1973 he became President of Hughes Hall
, serving until 1978, when he retired and was made an Honorary Fellow.
Lee published a study of the pre-Socratic Greek philosopher Zeno of Elea
(1935), and translations with commentary of Aristotle
's Meteorologica
(1952), Plato
's Republic (1955) and his dialogue
s Timæus
and Critias
(1971).
In his edition of the Republic of Plato, Lee defended Plato against criticism based on the term "noble lie
", and translated γενναίον ψεύδος (gennaion pseudos) as "magnificent myth". He wrote:
DSO
, and they had one son and two daughters.
An art collector, his paintings included an Ivon Hitchens
landscape. In an obituary
, a Clifton colleague wrote of him:
Lee died on 8 December 1993, after many years of retirement, with his mental powers failing. At the time of his death he was living at 8, Barton Close, Cambridge. He had become an active supporter of the parish church
at Grantchester
.
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Henry Desmond Pritchard Lee (30 August 1908 – 8 December 1993), known as Desmond Lee, was an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
classical
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
scholar
Scholarly method
Scholarly method or scholarship is the body of principles and practices used by scholars to make their claims about the world as valid and trustworthy as possible, and to make them known to the scholarly public.-Methods:...
specializing in ancient philosophy
Ancient philosophy
This page lists some links to ancient philosophy. In Western philosophy, the spread of Christianity through the Roman Empire marked the ending of Hellenistic philosophy and ushered in the beginnings of Medieval philosophy, whereas in Eastern philosophy, the spread of Islam through the Arab Empire...
who became a Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
and tutor
Tutorial system
At Cambridge University, Oxford University and Queen's University Belfast, undergraduates are taught in the tutorial system. Students are taught by faculty fellows in groups of one to three on a weekly basis...
of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is notable as the only college founded by Cambridge townspeople: it was established in 1352 by the Guilds of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary...
, a lecturer in the University, and head master
Head teacher
A head teacher or school principal is the most senior teacher, leader and manager of a school....
successively of Clifton College
Clifton College
Clifton College is a co-educational independent school in Clifton, Bristol, England, founded in 1862. In its early years it was notable for emphasising science in the curriculum, and for being less concerned with social elitism, e.g. by admitting day-boys on equal terms and providing a dedicated...
and Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
, ending his career as President of Hughes Hall, Cambridge
Hughes Hall, Cambridge
Hughes Hall, is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. It is often informally called Hughes, and is the oldest of the four Cambridge colleges which admit only mature students...
.
Early life
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, the son of the Rev. Canon Henry Burgass Lee, the young Lee was educated at Arden House, then at Repton School
Repton School
Repton School, founded in 1557, is a co-educational English independent school for both day and boarding pupils, in the British public school tradition, located in the village of Repton, in Derbyshire, in the Midlands area of England...
, where he held the George Denman
George Denman
The Honourable George Denman PC, QC was an English rower, barrister, Liberal politician and High Court judge....
scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
, and finally at Corpus Christi College
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is notable as the only college founded by Cambridge townspeople: it was established in 1352 by the Guilds of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary...
, Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, where he was again a scholar and gained a Double First, with Firsts in Part 1 of the Classical Tripos
Classical Tripos
The Classical Tripos is the taught course in classics at the University of Cambridge, equivalent to Literae Humaniores at Oxford. It is traditionally a three year degree, but for those who have not studied Latin and Greek at school a four year course has been introduced...
in 1928 and in Part 2 in 1930. He also gained a Charles Oldham scholarship.
While he was still an undergraduate at Cambridge, Lee became a friend of the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein
Ludwig Wittgenstein
Ludwig Josef Johann Wittgenstein was an Austrian philosopher who worked primarily in logic, the philosophy of mathematics, the philosophy of mind, and the philosophy of language. He was professor in philosophy at the University of Cambridge from 1939 until 1947...
(1889–1951), in 1930 staying with the Wittgenstein family in Austria. Many years later, in editing Wittgenstein's Lectures: Cambridge, 1930-1932, Lee wrote an account of their friendship, which came to an end after the focus of Lee's academic career turned to ancient philosophy
Ancient philosophy
This page lists some links to ancient philosophy. In Western philosophy, the spread of Christianity through the Roman Empire marked the ending of Hellenistic philosophy and ushered in the beginnings of Medieval philosophy, whereas in Eastern philosophy, the spread of Islam through the Arab Empire...
. His other friends during this period included William Empson
William Empson
Sir William Empson was an English literary critic and poet.He was known as "燕卜荪" in Chinese.He was widely influential for his practice of closely reading literary works, fundamental to the New Critics...
.
Career
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of Corpus Christi in 1933. The same year, he was admitted to the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
, but he did not go on to practice as a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
. From 1935 to 1948 he was also a college tutor
Tutorial system
At Cambridge University, Oxford University and Queen's University Belfast, undergraduates are taught in the tutorial system. Students are taught by faculty fellows in groups of one to three on a weekly basis...
, from 1937 to 1948 a University Lecturer in Classics , and in 1944 he became a member of the University's Council of the Senate, serving until 1948. From 1941 until 1944, during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he also worked in the Regional Commissioner
Regional Seat of Government
Regional Seats of Government or RSGs were the best known aspect of Britain's Civil Defence preparations against Nuclear War. In fact, however, naming conventions changed over the years as strategies in Whitehall changed....
's Office at Cambridge, assisting Will Spens
Will Spens
Sir William Spens, CBE was an eminent educationalist in the mid twentieth century, academic and Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.-Life:...
.
In 1948, by which time he had become Senior Tutor of his college, Lee was persuaded to go to Clifton College
Clifton College
Clifton College is a co-educational independent school in Clifton, Bristol, England, founded in 1862. In its early years it was notable for emphasising science in the curriculum, and for being less concerned with social elitism, e.g. by admitting day-boys on equal terms and providing a dedicated...
as head master, and in 1954 proceeded from there to serve as head of Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
, where he remained until 1968. In 1958–59 he was a member of the Anderson Committee on Grants to Students and was twice Chairman of the Headmasters' Conference, first in 1959–1960 and again in 1967.
In 1968 he returned to Cambridge as a Fellow of University College, which in 1973 changed its name to Wolfson
Wolfson College, Cambridge
Wolfson College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. Wolfson is one of a small number of Cambridge colleges which admit only students over the age of 21. The majority of students at the college are postgraduates, with around 15% studying undergraduate...
. In 1973 he became President of Hughes Hall
Hughes Hall, Cambridge
Hughes Hall, is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. It is often informally called Hughes, and is the oldest of the four Cambridge colleges which admit only mature students...
, serving until 1978, when he retired and was made an Honorary Fellow.
Scholar
Zeno of Elea
Zeno of Elea was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher of southern Italy and a member of the Eleatic School founded by Parmenides. Aristotle called him the inventor of the dialectic. He is best known for his paradoxes, which Bertrand Russell has described as "immeasurably subtle and profound".- Life...
(1935), and translations with commentary of Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
's Meteorologica
Meteorology (Aristotle)
Meteorology is a treatise by Aristotle which contains his theories about the earth sciences. These include early accounts of water evaporation, weather phenomena, and earthquakes....
(1952), Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
's Republic (1955) and his dialogue
Dialogue
Dialogue is a literary and theatrical form consisting of a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people....
s Timæus
Timaeus (dialogue)
Timaeus is one of Plato's dialogues, mostly in the form of a long monologue given by the title character, written circa 360 BC. The work puts forward speculation on the nature of the physical world and human beings. It is followed by the dialogue Critias.Speakers of the dialogue are Socrates,...
and Critias
Critias (dialogue)
Critias, one of Plato's late dialogues, contains the story of the mighty island kingdom Atlantis and its attempt to conquer Athens, which failed due to the ordered society of the Athenians...
(1971).
In his edition of the Republic of Plato, Lee defended Plato against criticism based on the term "noble lie
Noble lie
In politics a noble lie is a myth or untruth, often, but not invariably, of a religious nature, knowingly told by an elite to maintain social harmony. The noble lie is a concept originated by Plato as described in the Republic.-Plato's Republic:...
", and translated γενναίον ψεύδος (gennaion pseudos) as "magnificent myth". He wrote:
Private life
In 1935, Lee married Elizabeth, daughter of Colonel A. Crookenden CBEOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, and they had one son and two daughters.
An art collector, his paintings included an Ivon Hitchens
Ivon Hitchens
Ivon Hitchens was an English painter who started exhibiting during the 1920s. He became part of the 'London Group' of artists and exhibited with them during the 1930s. His house was bombed in 1940 during World War II, at which point he moved to a caravan on a patch of woodland near Petworth in...
landscape. In an obituary
Obituary
An obituary is a news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person's life and information about the upcoming funeral. In large cities and larger newspapers, obituaries are written only for people considered significant...
, a Clifton colleague wrote of him:
Lee died on 8 December 1993, after many years of retirement, with his mental powers failing. At the time of his death he was living at 8, Barton Close, Cambridge. He had become an active supporter of the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
at Grantchester
Grantchester
Grantchester is a village on the River Cam or Granta in Cambridgeshire, England. It is listed in the Domesday Book as Grantesete and Grauntsethe...
.
Publications
- Zeno of Elea: a text and notes, 1935
- Aristotle, Meteorologica, 1952
- Plato, Republic, 1955, revised edition 1974
- Plato, Timæus and Critias, with an appendix on Atlantis, 1971
- Entry and Performance at Oxford and Cambridge, 1966–71, 1972
- Wittgenstein's Lectures 1930–32 (ed.), 1980