Stocks was born the sixth of twelve children to
John Edward Stocks, the vicar of
Market Harborough, Leicestershire. He was educated at
Rugby School and
Corpus Christi College, Oxford and graduated in 1903. In 1906, he was an elected fellow and tutor of
St. John's College, Oxford. Except for war service, he remained there until 1924. Stocks served in the British Army with the
King's Royal Rifle Corps during the
First World War, and he was awarded the
Distinguished Service Order for gallantry at Beaucourt. In 1924, he was elected professor of philosophy at the
University of Manchester, and, in 1936, he was appointed vice-chancellor of the University of Liverpool. His professional philosophical interests were in Aristotelian studies and
Epicureanism. He was president of the
Aristotelian Society and edited the Leaders of Philosophy book series (
Ernest Benn Ltd.). ==Personal life==