William J. Richardson


William John Richardson SJ was an American philosopher who was among the first to write a comprehensive study of the philosophy of Martin Heidegger, featuring an important preface by Heidegger himself.

Early life and education

Richardson was born on November 2, 1920, in Brooklyn, New York, to Frederick E. Richardson and Mary Richardson. He had a sister, Margaret Powers. In 1941, Richardson graduated from the College of the Holy Cross and entered the Jesuit order on August 14, 1941, in Poughkeepsie, New York. He further studied at Woodstock College and the Catholic University of Louvain.

Career

In addition to his specialization in Heidegger, Richardson was also, as a trained psychoanalyst, a specialist in the thought of Jacques Lacan. He was a Jesuit priest. He taught philosophy at St. Peter's College, Fordham University, and, beginning in 1981, at Boston College, where he was, at the time of his death, emeritus professor of philosophy. He died in December 2016 in Weston, Massachusetts, at the age of 96.

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