Owen Barfield

Owen Barfield was an English philosopher, author, poet, critic, and Inklings member. Barfield was born in London to Elizabeth and Arthur Edward Barfield (1864 1938). He had three older siblings, Diana (1891-1963), Barbara (1892-1951), and Harry (1895-1977). He attended Highgate School and Wadham College in Oxford before graduating with a first-class degree in English language and literature in 1920. After finishing his B. Litt., which became his third book, Poetic Diction, he dedicated himself...See more

Owen Barfield was an English philosopher, author, poet, critic, and Inklings member. Barfield was born in London to Elizabeth and Arthur Edward Barfield (1864 1938). He had three older siblings, Diana (1891-1963), Barbara (1892-1951), and Harry (1895-1977). He attended Highgate School and Wadham College in Oxford before graduating with a first-class degree in English language and literature in 1920. After finishing his B. Litt., which became his third book, Poetic Diction, he dedicated himself to poetry and writing for over ten years. After 1934, he worked as an attorney in London, retiring in 1959 at the age of sixty. He then had several guest assignments as a Visiting Professor in North America. Barfield authored numerous essays, books, and articles. His principal concentration was on what he termed the "evolution of consciousness," a concept that appears frequently in his writings. He is best known as the author of Saving the Appearances: A Study in Idolatry and a founding father of Anthroposophy in English-speaking countries. See less