Robert L. Holmes (December 28, 1935) is a

Professor Emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

of Philosophy at the

University of Rochester The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private university, private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants Undergraduate education, undergraduate and graduate degrees, including Doctorate, do ...

, and an expert on issues of

peace Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. ...

and nonviolence. Holmes specializes in

ethics Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concer ...

, and in

social Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not. Etymology The word "social" derives from ...

and

political philosophy Political philosophy or political theory is the philosophical study of government, addressing questions about the nature, scope, and legitimacy of public agents and institutions and the relationships between them. Its topics include politics, ...

. He has written numerous articles and several books on those topics, and has been invited to address national and international conferences.

Early life

Holmes earned his

undergraduate degree An undergraduate degree (also called first degree or simply degree) is a colloquial term for an academic degree earned by a person who has completed undergraduate courses. In the United States, it is usually offered at an institution of higher e ...

from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

and

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

in philosophy from the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

Career

Holmes joined the faculty at the

in 1962. In 1998, Holmes was appointed to the newly established Rajiv Gandhi Chair in Peace and Disarmament at

Jawaharlal Nehru University Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is a public major research university located in New Delhi, India. It was established in 1969 and named after Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister. The university is known for leading faculties and r ...

in New Delhi, India, where he shaped the mission of the chair on instruction, research, and lectures. While serving on the faculty at the

, his lectures were always eagerly anticipated by students of the

humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture. In the Renaissance, the term contrasted with divinity and referred to what is now called classics, the main area of secular study in universities at the t ...

as well as the sciences. He received the Edward Peck Curtis Award for Undergraduate Teaching in 2001 and the Professor of the Year Award in Humanities in 2006. At the 2007 convocation ceremony, Holmes was awarded the Goergen Award for Distinguished Achievement and Artistry in Undergraduate Teaching. Also, Holmes is known for being one of the very few professors to receive perfect or near perfect reviews every year since the university began student review services in 2001. During the course of an academic career which has spanned over forty years, Holmes has held a variety of scholarly positions including:

Fulbright Fellow The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...

Moscow State University M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU; russian: Московский государственный университет имени М. В. Ломоносова) is a public research university in Moscow, Russia and the most prestigious ...

and Visiting professor at Notre Dame,

Hamilton College Hamilton College is a private liberal arts college in Clinton, Oneida County, New York. It was founded as Hamilton-Oneida Academy in 1793 and was chartered as Hamilton College in 1812 in honor of inaugural trustee Alexander Hamilton, following ...

and the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,07 ...

. In addition, he served as an editor of the philosophical journal ''

Public Affairs Quarterly ''Public Affairs Quarterly'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal that covers current issues in social and political philosophy. The current editor is Jason Brennan (Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private research university ...

'', contributed to the editorial review board of ''

Social Theory and Practice ''Social Theory and Practice'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal that features discussion of theoretical and applied questions in social, political, legal, economic, educational, and moral philosophy, including critical studies of classical and c ...

'' and participated on the national board of the

Fellowship of Reconciliation The Fellowship of Reconciliation (FoR or FOR) is the name used by a number of religious nonviolent organizations, particularly in English-speaking countries. They are linked by affiliation to the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR). ...

. He was also a longtime adviser to the University of Rochester Undergraduate Philosophy Council. In 1992 he also served as president of the professional organization Concerned Philosophers for Peace which strives to improve international understanding and peace through scholarly analysis of the causes of war. Holmes is the author of several comprehensive texts on the subject of

moral philosophy Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns ...

. Included among his publications is a collaborative work undertaken in 1968 with

Lewis White Beck Lewis White Beck (September 26, 1913 – June 7, 1997) was an American philosopher and scholar of German philosophy. Beck was Burbank Professor of Intellectual and Moral Philosophy at the University of Rochester and served as the Philosophy D ...

- a noted scholar on

Kantian ethics Kantian ethics refers to a deontological ethical theory developed by German philosopher Immanuel Kant that is based on the notion that: "It is impossible to think of anything at all in the world, or indeed even beyond it, that could be conside ...

(''Philosophical Inquiry: An Introduction to Philosophy''). He also coauthored a work in 2005 with Barry L. Gan - Director of the Center for Nonviolence at St. Bonaventure University (''Nonviolence in Theory and Practice''). In addition, he has published numerous papers in several academic peer-reviewed journals including: ''

Analysis Analysis ( : analyses) is the process of breaking a complex topic or substance into smaller parts in order to gain a better understanding of it. The technique has been applied in the study of mathematics and logic since before Aristotle (3 ...

'', ''

Ethics Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concer ...

'', ''

International Philosophical Quarterly The ''International Philosophical Quarterly'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal edited by a group of academics at Fordham University Fordham University () is a private Jesuit research university in New York City. Established in 1841 and n ...

'', '' Journal of Medicine and Philosophy'', '' Journal of Value Inquiry'', '' Mind'', ''

The Monist ''The Monist: An International Quarterly Journal of General Philosophical Inquiry'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal in the field of philosophy. It was established in October 1890 by American publisher Edward C. Hegeler. History Init ...

'', ''

The Philosophical Forum ''The Philosophical Forum'' is a philosophy journal published by Wiley-Blackwell. It is currently edited by Alexus McLeod. History ''The Philosophical Forum'' was founded in 1943 as an annual philosophy journal, published by the Boston University ...

'', and ''The

Review of Metaphysics ''The Review of Metaphysics'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal of philosophy. It was established by Paul Weiss and the first issue was published in September 1947. The journal's primary sponsor is and has been The Catholic University of Ameri ...

''. As of 2009, Holmes is semi-retired, although he still teaches at the University of Rochester during some semesters.

Moral philosophy

Over the course of the past forty years, Holmes has addressed several interrelated

moral dilemmas In philosophy, ethical dilemmas, also called ethical paradoxes or moral dilemmas, are situations in which an agent stands under two (or more) ''conflicting moral requirements'', none of which ''overrides'' the other. A closely related definition c ...

posed in the modern age including

terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...

and armed conflict in general. In 2013 he argued that identifying viable moral alternatives to such circumstances is relevant even when mankind is faced with the threat of mass destruction posed by nuclear weapons. The temptation to retreat into a form of modified

existential nihilism Existential nihilism is the philosophical theory that life has no intrinsic meaning or value.Veit, W. (2018). Existential Nihilism: The Only Really Serious Philosophical Problem – Journal of Camus Studies 2018: 211-236. https://doi.org/10.13 ...

when confronted by such disruptive

existential Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and valu ...

factors is clearly rejected. After reviewing several competing moral positions which societies might adopt, he proposes that both

pacifism Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaign ...

and nonviolence have the potential to mitigate these disruptive

paradigms In science and philosophy, a paradigm () is a distinct set of concepts or thought patterns, including theories, research methods, postulates, and standards for what constitute legitimate contributions to a field. Etymology ''Paradigm'' comes f ...

and serve as the basis of a morally viable prototype for humanity's future. In 2016, Holmes also offered a robust philosophical defense of pacifism and its application in a world which is plagued with recurrent outbursts of international violence. At the center of his analysis is the proposition that a moral

presumption In the law of evidence, a presumption of a particular fact can be made without the aid of proof in some situations. The invocation of a presumption shifts the burden of proof from one party to the opposing party in a court trial. There are two ...

against war in general exists among civilized beings and that warfare remains morally unjustified until that presumption is overturned.

Just war theory The just war theory ( la, bellum iustum) is a doctrine, also referred to as a tradition, of military ethics which is studied by military leaders, theologians, ethicists and policy makers. The purpose of the doctrine is to ensure that a war is ...

in general is inadequate to the task of surmounting that moral presumption in Holmes' view. As a result, warfare as practiced in the modern era is unjustified and best described as morally repugnant.

Publications

Texts

Included among Robert L. Holmes publications are the following texts: *''Basic Moral Philosophy'' by Robert L. Holmes * ''Introduction to Applied Ethics'' by Robert L. Holmes * ''Kant's Legacy: Essays in Honor of Lewis White Beck'' Editor: Predrag Cicovacki. Contributor: Robert L. Holmes -"Consequentialism and its Consequences". * ''Nonviolence in Theory and Practice'' by Robert L. Holmes and Barry L. Gan * ''On War and Morality'' by Robert L. Holmes * ''Philosophic Inquiry: An Introduction to Philosophy'' by Lewis White Beck and Robert L. Holmes * ''Pacifism: A Philosophy of Nonviolence'' by Robert L. Holmes * ''The Ethics of Nonviolence - Essays by Robert L. Holmes'' Editor: Predrag Cicovacki, Bloomsbury, USA on books.google.com * ''The Augustinian Tradition'' Editor: Gareth B. Matthews. Contributor: Robert L. Holmes - "St. Augustine and the Just War Theory"

Journal articles

Selected peer-reviewed articles published by Robert L. Holmes include: * "The Metaethics of Pacifism and Just War". '' Philosophical Forum Quarterly'' (2015):2-15 * "Just War: Principles and Causes". ''

''(1997):483-484 * "The Limited Relevance of Analytical Ethics to the Problems of Bioethics." '' The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy'' (1990):143-159 * "Is Morality a System of Hypothetical Imperatives?". ''

'' (1974):96-100 * "University Neutrality and ROTC". ''

''(1973):177 * "John Dewey's Social Ethics". ''

The Journal of Value Inquiry The ''Journal of Value Inquiry'' is a peer-reviewed philosophical journal focused on value studies. It was founded in 1967 by James Wilbur. The journal publishes essays, letters, book reviews, interviews, dialogues, reports, and news. According ...

'' (1973):274-280 * "John Dewey's Moral Philosophy in Contemporary Perspective". ''

The Review of Metaphysics ''The Review of Metaphysics'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal of philosophy. It was established by Paul Weiss and the first issue was published in September 1947. The journal's primary sponsor is and has been The Catholic University of Ameri ...

'' (1966):42-70 * "The Development of John Dewey's Ethical Thought". ''

''(1964):392-406 * "The Case Against Ethical Naturalism". '' Mind'' (1964):291-295''Mind'' - "The Case Against Ethical Naturalism" Robert L. Holmes. Oxford University Press Vol 73 N. 290 April 1964 p. 291-295 on scholar.google.com
/ref>

References

External links

''Basic Moral Philosophy'' by Robert L. Holmes on books.google.com

''On War and Morality'' by Robert L. Holmes on books.google.com

''The Ethics of Nonviolence - Essays by Robert L. Holmes'' Editor: Predrag Cicovacki on books.google.com

''Introduction to Applied Ethics'' by Robert L.Holmes on books.google.com

''Kant's Legacy: Essays in Honor of Lewis White Beck'' Editor: Predrag Cicovacki. Contributor: Robert L. Holmes -"Consequentialism and its Consequences" on books.google.com

''The Augustinian Tradition'' Editor: Gareth B. Matthews. Contributor: Robert L. Holmes - "St. Augustine and the Just War Theory" on books.google.com

''Robert L. Holmes'' on worldcat.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holmes, Robert L. 1935 births 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American philosophers 20th-century essayists 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American philosophers 21st-century essayists American ethicists American male essayists American male non-fiction writers American pacifists American philosophy academics American political philosophers American social commentators Analytic philosophers Cultural critics Harvard University alumni Jawaharlal Nehru University faculty Lecturers Living people Moral philosophers Nonviolence advocates Philosophers of culture Philosophers of ethics and morality Philosophers of history Philosophers of social science Philosophers of war Philosophy teachers Philosophy writers Social critics Social philosophers Theorists on Western civilization University of Michigan alumni University of Rochester faculty

Early life

Career

Moral philosophy

Publications

Texts

Journal articles

See also

References

External links