Analytic Philosophy

The Vienna Circle

What are some other interesting facts about A.J. Ayer’s life and career?

Ayer was a prominent subject of academic gossip for his “womanizing” (he was married four times) and for his engagement in fashionable popular culture. There was an overall glamour to his life. Ayer’s mother’s family founded the French Citroën car company, and his father worked for the wealthy Rothchild family of bankers. He attended Eton, won a scholarship to Oxford, and served in the SOE (Special Operations Executive) during World War II. Before the war, while on a visit to New York, Ayer made a record with actress Lauren Bacall. He supported the Tottenham Hotspur Football Club and was known to its fans as “The Prof.”

