Loren Lomasky
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Loren E. Lomasky is an American
philosopher Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
, currently the Cory Professor of Political Philosophy, Policy and Law at the
University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...
.


Biography

Lomasky earned his PhD from the
University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university system with its main campus in Storrs, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1881 as the Storrs Agricultural School, named after two benefactors. In 1893, ...
, and has previously taught at
Bowling Green State University Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is a Public university, public research university in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The main academic and residential campus is south of Toledo, Ohio. The university has nationally recognized progr ...
in
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
, the
University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...
in
Duluth Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...
, and the
Australian National University The Australian National University (ANU) is a public university, public research university and member of the Group of Eight (Australian universities), Group of Eight, located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton, A ...
in
Canberra Canberra ( ; ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the Federation of Australia, federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's list of cities in Australia, largest in ...
. He has also been a contributing editor to ''
Reason Reason is the capacity of consciously applying logic by drawing valid conclusions from new or existing information, with the aim of seeking the truth. It is associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, religion, scien ...
'' magazine. Lomasky has written principally on
ethics Ethics is the philosophy, philosophical study of Morality, moral phenomena. Also called moral philosophy, it investigates Normativity, normative questions about what people ought to do or which behavior is morally right. Its main branches inclu ...
and
political philosophy Political philosophy studies the theoretical and conceptual foundations of politics. It examines the nature, scope, and Political legitimacy, legitimacy of political institutions, such as State (polity), states. This field investigates different ...
. His book ''Persons, Rights, and the Moral Community'' established his reputation as a leading advocate of a rights-based approach to moral and social issues. Besides these, his teaching interests include the
philosophy of religion Philosophy of religion is "the philosophical examination of the central themes and concepts involved in religious traditions". Philosophical discussions on such topics date from ancient times, and appear in the earliest known Text (literary theo ...
,
medieval philosophy Medieval philosophy is the philosophy that existed through the Middle Ages, the period roughly extending from the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century until after the Renaissance in the 13th and 14th centuries. Medieval philosophy, ...
, and other periods in the history of philosophy. Lomasky has been the recipient of many awards including the 1991 Matchette Prize for his ''Persons, Rights, and the Moral Community''. Lomasky has held research appointments sponsored by the NEH, the Center for the Study of Public Choice, the
Australian National University The Australian National University (ANU) is a public university, public research university and member of the Group of Eight (Australian universities), Group of Eight, located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton, A ...
and Bowling Green's Social Philosophy and Policy Center.


On meat eating

Lomasky is a noted opponent of
animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all Animal consciousness, sentient animals have Moral patienthood, moral worth independent of their Utilitarianism, utility to humans, and that their most basic interests—such as ...
. He authored the paper "Is it wrong to eat animals?", in 2013 which defends meat eating and criticizes the arguments of moral
vegetarianism Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...
. Lomasky argues that the pleasures of consuming meat "afford human beings goods comparable qualitatively and quantitatively to those held forth by the arts. Lives of many people would be significantly impaired were they to forgo carnivorous consumption."


Selected publications

* "When Hard Heads Collide: A Philosopher Encounters Public Choice," ''The American Journal of Economics and Sociology'', 63 (2004). * "Liberty and Welfare Goods: Reflection on Clashing Liberalisms," ''Journal of Ethics'' 4 (2000). * "Aid Without Egalitarianism: Assisting Indigent Defendants," in William C. Heffernan & John Kleinig (eds.), ''From Social Justice to Criminal Justice'', Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000, . * ''Democracy and Decision: The Pure Theory of Electoral Preference'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993, (with Geoffrey Brennan). * ''Politics and Process: New Essays in Democratic Thought'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1989, (co-editor, with Geoffrey Brennan). * ''Persons, Rights, and the Moral Community'', Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987, .


See also

*
American philosophy American philosophy is the activity, corpus, and tradition of philosophers affiliated with the United States. The ''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' notes that while it lacks a "core of defining features, American Philosophy can neverthe ...
* Libertarian views of rights *
List of American philosophers American philosophy is the activity, corpus, and tradition of philosophers affiliated with the United States. The ''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' notes that while it lacks a "core of defining features, American Philosophy can neverthe ...


References


External links


Lomaskys's writings at the Independent Review

Lomasky's writings
at the
Competitive Enterprise Institute The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) is a non-profit libertarian think tank founded by the political writer Fred L. Smith Jr. on March 9, 1984, in Washington, D.C., to advance principles of limited government, free enterprise, and individ ...
site.
Lomasky's writings at the Foundation for Economic Education

"Is Social Security Politically Untouchable?"
'' The Cato Journal'', 5 (Spring/Summer 1985). {{DEFAULTSORT:Lomasky, Loren Year of birth missing (living people) 20th-century American philosophers American libertarians American political philosophers Cato Institute people Critics of animal rights Libertarian theorists Living people University of Connecticut alumni University of Virginia faculty