Vale Ian Edgell Hunt: 1946-2024

 Ian Edgell Hunt, an Australian Marxist philosopher, died on 13th January 2024, aged 77. Ian Hunt, as a long term member of the Flinders University Philosophy Department (1971-2015) in Adelaide, South Australia, played initially a pivotal role in the setting up and the teaching of a course in Marxism-Leninism, which had attracted the interest of many students over the years of its duration. One of the major outcomes of this was that it led to a number of PhD students under Ian Hunt's supervision who all sought to make their own unique contribution to Marxist philosophy. One of the other major outcomes of this was that it led to a significant number of journal publications on both Marx's Hegelian legacy (the dialectical method) and his critique of political economy. It also led to, ultimately, a book on the metaphysical nature and theoretical role of the dialectical method in Marx's theories of history, capitalism and revolution. The book's title is Dialectical and Analytical Marxism. Ian Hunt, as pointed out by Christopher J. Arthur in his book The New Dialectic and Marx's Capital, was one of a number of contemporary intellectuals who engaged in what might be called a 'new' form of 'Hegelian Marxism'. Later on, Ian Hunt turned his attention to teaching a variety of interconnected courses on political philosophy, with a special focus on John Rawls's theory of justice. This area of teaching and research also led to a number of journal articles on not just Rawls's theory of justice but also on forging an alternative perspective of a 'just and fair' society which consciously drew on Marx's critique of political economy as well: a liberal socialist society. Ultimately, this all culminated in another book, titled Liberal Socialism: An Alternative Social Ideal Grounded in Rawls and Marx. As a philosophy teacher, postgraduate supervisor and academic researcher, Ian Hunt made, undoubtedly, significant contributions in all three areas of his professional life. Ian Hunt was also a radical union activist in the Australian tertiary sector (for more on this aspect of his professional and activist life, see his jointly edited book with Chris Provis, The New Industrial Relations In Australia). Ian Hunt has left behind him a wife plus six children and nine grandchildren. In his own words, he had lived both a 'fortunate' and a 'good' life. He will always be fondly remembered as a friend, postgraduate supervisor and colleague. Vale Ian Edgell Hunt (1946-2024).