Roger Stephen Crisp (born 23 March 1961)
is fellow and tutor in
philosophy
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 ...
at
St. Anne's College, Oxford. He holds the university posts of
Professor
Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...
of
Moral Philosophy
Ethics is the philosophical study of moral phenomena. Also called moral philosophy, it investigates normative questions about what people ought to do or which behavior is morally right. Its main branches include normative ethics, applied et ...
and Uehiro Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy. His work falls principally within the field of
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 ...
, in particular
metaethics,
normative ethics, and
applied ethics. In addition, he is chairman of the Management Committee of the
Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics.
Education
Originally from
Brentwood, Essex, Crisp began his higher education at
St. Anne's College, Oxford in 1979, where he read
Literae Humaniores. He was amongst the first male cohort to study at this previously all-female college. He was taught by, amongst others,
Margaret Howatson,
Gabriele Taylor,
Iris Murdoch, and
Peter Derow. In 1983 he commenced the
B.Phil., and from 1985 until 1988 he worked on his
D.Phil., writing his thesis on
utilitarianism
In ethical philosophy, utilitarianism is a family of normative ethical theories that prescribe actions that maximize happiness and well-being for the affected individuals. In other words, utilitarian ideas encourage actions that lead to the ...
.
Career
In 1986 Crisp began his first academic post, as a junior lecturer in
philosophy
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 ...
at
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College ( ) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by Bishop of Winchester William of Waynflete. It is one of the wealthiest Oxford colleges, as of 2022, and ...
; he returned to St Anne's for two years beginning in 1987 as a lecturer in
philosophy
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 ...
, before taking up a lecturing post at
Hertford College in 1988–1989. In 1989–1991 he moved to
University College
In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies f ...
, as a
British Academy
The British Academy for the Promotion of Historical, Philosophical and Philological Studies is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences.
It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the sa ...
Research Fellow and Honorary
Junior Research Fellow. In 1991 he returned to St Anne's to take up a permanent post as Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy, succeeding
Gabriele Taylor. For the first time in his career, Crisp temporarily left Oxford and spent the academic year 2010–2011 at
Boston University
Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodism, Methodists with its original campus in Newbury (town), Vermont, Newbur ...
to explore his interest in the moral philosophy of
Henry Sidgwick
Henry Sidgwick (; 31 May 1838 – 28 August 1900) was an English Utilitarianism, utilitarian philosopher and economist and is best known in philosophy for his utilitarian treatise ''The Methods of Ethics''. His work in economics has also had a ...
.
Arguably Crisp's most significant work to date is ''Reasons and the Good'' (2006), in which he advances some novel approaches to the oldest questions in ethics. The central thesis of this work is that a fundamental issue in normative ethics is what ultimate reasons might underlie our actions; Crisp argues that the best exposition of such reasons will not employ moral concepts.
Other major works include a translation of
Aristotle
Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...
's ''
Nicomachean Ethics
The ''Nicomachean Ethics'' (; , ) is Aristotle's best-known work on ethics: the science of the good for human life, that which is the goal or end at which all our actions aim. () It consists of ten sections, referred to as books, and is closely ...
'', and the ''Routledge Guidebook to
Mill on
Utilitarianism
In ethical philosophy, utilitarianism is a family of normative ethical theories that prescribe actions that maximize happiness and well-being for the affected individuals. In other words, utilitarian ideas encourage actions that lead to the ...
''. He was editor of the ''Oxford Handbook of the History of Ethics'' (2013).
Personal life
Crisp is married with two daughters.
Select publications
This is a selection of Crisp's recent publications. For an exhaustive list download the PDF file on his page on th
Oxford University Philosophy Faculty website
Books
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Edited books
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Chapters in books
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Journal articles
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Podcast
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Conference papers
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References
External links
Roger Crisp's page on the Oxford University Philosophy Faculty website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crisp, Roger
1961 births
20th-century British philosophers
20th-century British essayists
21st-century British philosophers
21st-century British essayists
Alumni of St Anne's College, Oxford
Analytic philosophers
British ethicists
British male essayists
Fellows of St Anne's College, Oxford
Fellows of University College, Oxford
Living people
British philosophers of education
British philosophy academics