Simon Blackburn
| Full name | Simon Blackburn |
|---|---|
| Born | 1944 UK |
| Era | Contemporary philosophy |
| Region | Western Philosophy |
| School | Analytic |
| Main interests | Ethics · Truth |
| Notable ideas | Quasi-realism |
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Simon Blackburn (born 1944) is a British academic philosopher known for his efforts to popularise philosophy. He attended Clifton College and went on to receive his bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1965 from Trinity College, Cambridge and his doctorate in 1970 from Churchill College, Cambridge. He is currently Professor of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge's Faculty of Philosophy and Research Professor of Philosophy at the University of North Carolina. He is also a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. He was previously a Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford and has also taught at the University of North Carolina as an Edna J. Koury Professor. He is the current president of the Aristotelian Society, serving the 2009-2010 term.
In philosophy, he is best-known as the proponent of quasi-realism in meta-ethics and as a defender of neo-Humean views on a variety of topics; he is an atheist. He is a Vice-President of the British Humanist Association and a former editor of the journal Mind.
He makes occasional appearances in the British media, such as on BBC Radio 4's The Moral Maze.
On 15 September 2010, Blackburn, along with 54 other public figures, signed an open letter published in The Guardian, stating their opposition to Pope Benedict XVI's state visit to the UK.[1]
[edit] Books
- Reason and Prediction (1973). ISBN 0-521-08742-2.
- Spreading the Word (1984) - a text. ISBN 0-19-824650-1.
- Essays in Quasi-Realism (1993). ISBN 0-19-508041-6 and ISBN 0-19-508224-9.
- The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (1994) - compiled whole-handedly. ISBN 0-19-211694-0.
- Ruling Passions (1998) - a defense of quasi-realism as applied to ethics. ISBN 0-19-824785-0.
- Truth (1999) (edited w/ Keith Simmons) - from Oxford Readings in Philosophy series. ISBN 0-19-875250-4.
- Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy. (1999) ISBN 0-19-210024-6 and ISBN 0-19-969087-1.
- Being Good (2001) - an introduction to ethics. ISBN 0-19-210052-1.
- Reprinted as Ethics: A Very Short Introduction in Oxford University Press' Very Short Introductions series [1]. ISBN 0-19-280442-1.
- Lust (2004) - one of an Oxford University Press series covering the Seven Deadly Sins. ISBN 0-19-516200-5.
- Truth: A Guide (2005). ISBN 0-19-516824-0.
- Plato's Republic: A Biography (2006) - from Atlantic Books' Books That Shook the World series. ISBN 1-84-354350-8.
[edit] External links
- Personal website
- Simon Blackburn talks with Jenny Attiyeh on Thoughtcast
- BBC News story
- Blackburn Essay 'In defence of lust' in The New Statesman
- Blackburn Discusses the Value of Truth on Philosophy Talk Radio Program
- Blackburn discusses Plato's Republic
- An interview with Simon Blackburn on The Marketplace of Ideas
[edit] References
- ^ "Letters: Harsh judgments on the pope and religion". The Guardian (London). 15 September 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/15/harsh-judgments-on-pope-religion. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
