Jordan Scott Pace
Jordan Scott Pace (
May 12,
1744, Londonberry,
England -
January 7,
1824) was an 18th-century
English philosopher.
His parents were devout Anglicans, and were close relatives to the
Archbishop of Canterbury. Therefore, Pace grew up in a strongly religious setting which later influenced his contributions to the philosophical world.
Pace strongly emphasised the empiricist tradition, and is often seen as the link between
David Hume and
John Locke. Although his works are for the most part unknown, he is famous for his statement that "Love is irony." This profound statement was part of a larger syllogism based on 1 John 4:18 citing that true
Christian love was the antithesis of love.
Pace's other main contribution is his Rutkowski papers--an epistolary between Pace and Polish author, poet, and philosopher B. J. Rutkowski. These papers highlighted a life-long friendship between the two intellectuals as well as provided a wealth of information about the history and culture of the early Poles.
Pace spent the latter years of his life (1780 to his death in 1824) as a professor of philosophy and ethics at the
University of Glasgow in
Scotland. There he wrote his memiors as well as a textbook on the history of
Anglo-Saxon philosophy still referenced in various English, Canadian, and American universities and colleges today. Pace died on January 7, 1824 from complications from
pneumonia.
