From Janine Gühler
Katherine was my PhD supervisor and guided me from the very beginning – when I knew so little – to the last stages of my PhD and beyond, even when my topic moved more and more away from her own research interests. She had a huge impact on my life, both as a philosopher as well as a person, and I am finding it difficult to grasp that Katherine is really gone. She was such a wonderful person. Over the last few days, I remembered the many times I sat with her in her office (initially it was that big room on the first floor with the beautiful view of the often wild, sometimes sunny North Sea) talking through any philosophical topics that occupied me at the time. She listened patiently to half-baked ideas and more developed thoughts alike, and she always had an interesting response or thought that helped me to move forward in my thinking. She was one of those people who did not just listen, but she actually heard you. Whether that was about philosophical ideas and arguments, worries about the academic job market or the profession itself. She was someone you could trust, and I felt safe to express myself without feeling judged. In fact, I cannot think of a single time when I shared something with her that worried me when I did not feel supported and encouraged by her.
Before coming to St Andrews, I was fascinated by her work on persistence. How she managed to write about such a difficult topic and make it easy to follow. It is one of the many things I learned from her that good philosophy is about writing as transparent and accessible as possible. Complicated and technical prose is not a badge of philosophical honour to strive for. When I came to St Andrews, she had already started working on trust and I was impressed by how everything she wrote about trust rang so true and yet there was so much to learn from her. I remember jokingly asking her whether she started working on trust and distrust as a reaction to her students promising more than they can deliver. It made her laugh (and her answer was no). This is one of the other many memories I have of her. This incredibly brilliant woman who was always up for a good laugh. I will miss that laugh.
There are so many other memories. I remember being stranded at Heathrow airport with her for hours and hours (because it was a surprise to the airport that there might be snow in December), and even that was a good memory thanks to her excellent company. I remember when she came to Oxford to give a talk, she accepted my invitation to join me for dinner at Worcester College, Oxford, where I now teach. It was good to be able to treat her to something nice. A small way to show my appreciation and to give something back. Even if it was just a dinner. And, of course, I got to spend some time with her. I will do my best to pay forward her kindness and the few insights I have.
I also remember the last time I saw her. It was at the Joint Session in Durham in July 2019. Katherine gave a fascinating talk on imposter syndrome as part of one of the symposia. I asked her whether she would have some time to chat and of course she took the time. It was so lovely catching up, it made me feel a bit nostalgic, and I assumed – hoped – there would be more opportunities in the future. It was not meant to be.