I have just heard that Jerry Cohen died early this morning. This is shocking news. Jerry was one of the most brilliant philosophers of his generation - a man of huge and subtle intellect, wide erudition and wonderful humour. I gave a brief account here of his valedictory lecture as Chichele Professor of Social and Political Theory last year.
Updates
> Ben Saunders: 'I always found him a kind, entertaining and inspiring teacher.'
> Thom Brooks: 'While his criticisms could be very sharp(!), I was highly impressed at how generous he was with his time and advice for so many. He will be sorely missed.'
> There's a post on Jerry's death at The Virtual Stoa.
> You can listen to a short interview with Jerry Cohen, from December 2007, here. The subject is inequality.
> See, now, the tribute by Matthew Kramer: 'among the top two or three political philosophers of his generation'.
> Colin Farrelly has some memories of Jerry here.
> A memory of Jerry at Harvard: 'after dinner, Cohen went to the front of the auditorium where, a couple of hours earlier, he'd locked his intellectual horns with [A.J. Julius], and did some of the funniest comedy I've ever heard.'
> Jesús Silva-Herzog Márquez: 'con mucha gracia puso su marxismo a dialogar con el liberalismo de John Rawls'
> Tom Hurka: 'Very sad news... very wonderful philosopher and excellent friend.'
> Jan Narveson: 'He had a wonderful sense of humour – inimitable, and was one of the most remarkable and lovable among brilliant people I ever met.'
> From the Public Reason blog: 'A philosophical giant has passed.'
> A personal appreciation by Chris Bertram.
> See, now, the obituaries linked here.