Quentin Skinner

British historian (1940-) · United Kingdom · On the map · Writers

Quentin Robert Duthie Skinner is a British intellectual historian. He is regarded as one of the founders of the Cambridge School of the history of political thought. He has won numerous prizes for his work, including the Wolfson History Prize in 1979 and the Balzan Prize in 2006.

Quentin Skinner is read about 140 times a day, in 24 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 6 November 2026

The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 104 days, one point a day.

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A life in dates

2008Bielefeld Science PrizeAward2006Balzan PrizeAward2001Benjamin E. Lippincott AwardAward1998“The lack of freedom suffered by those who advise the powerful may of course be due to coercion or force.”In their words(describing the view of Algernon Sidney) p. 93Read the whole statement

“The figure [neo-roman writers] wish to hold out for our admiration is described again and again.”In their wordspp. 95-96Read the whole statement

“Within a surprisingly short space of time, however, the fortunes of the neo-roman theory began to decline and fall.”In their wordspp. 96-97Read the whole statement

“One of the present values of the past is as a repository of values we no longer endorse, of questions we no longer ask.”In their wordsp. 112Read the whole statement

“It is remarkably difficult to avoid falling under the spell of our own intellectual heritage.”In their wordspp. 116-117Read the whole statement

“Both parties to the dispute agree that one of the primary aims of the state should be to respect and preserve the liberty of its individual citizens.”In their wordsp. 119Read the whole statement

1979Wolfson History PrizeAward1940Born26 November 1940

People around Quentin

John H. Plumb Taught Quentin

Also in Deutsch

Media & music

Photos 1

In their own words 4

Quentin Skinner

4 statements, newest first

To Namier it had seemed obvious that political theories act as the merest ex post facto rationalisations of political behaviour.
1998 · p. 104, Own words
Many historians make it a principal part of their business to investigate and explain the unfamiliar beliefs we encounter in past societies.
, Own words
Having gestured at the concept of rationality, I ought to stress that I intend nothing very grand or precise by that much abused term.
, Own words

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Awards

Bielefeld Science Prize2008

Balzan Prize2006

Benjamin E. Lippincott Award2001

Wolfson History Prize1979

Fellow of the British Academy

Fellow of the Royal Historical Society

About this person

Between 1996 and 2008 he was Regius Professor of History at the University of Cambridge. He is the Emeritus Professor of the Humanities and Co-director of The Centre for the Study of the History of Political Thought at Queen Mary University of London.

Country

United Kingdom