Alastair Norcross is a contemporary analytic philosopher specializing in moral theory, consequentialism, and applied ethics, based at the University of Colorado Boulder. He is best known for defending scalar consequentialism and for influential work in animal ethics. His philosophical output spans foundational questions in normative theory and practical ethical debates.
Developed and defended scalar consequentialism, arguing that moral 'ought' admits of degrees rather than binary permissibility
Authored 'Puppies, Pigs, and People,' a widely anthologized argument against eating meat using the argument from marginal cases
Contributed to debates on population ethics and the non-identity problem
Defended objectivist accounts of value against purely subjectivist and response-dependent theories
Produced influential work on the separateness of persons objection to consequentialism