Frankena
contemporaryAnalytic Philosophy1908 – 1994
William K. Frankena (1908–1994) was an American moral philosopher who spent his career at the University of Michigan and is best known for his influential introductory text 'Ethics' (1963). He worked within analytic metaethics and normative theory, defending non-naturalist views about objective moral properties and developing a careful mixed deontological framework.
Notable Achievements
1
Authored 'Ethics' (1963), one of the most widely used introductory ethics textbooks of the twentieth century
2
Defended non-naturalism and the objectivity of moral and evaluative properties
3
Developed a mixed deontological theory integrating both consequentialist and duty-based considerations
4
Provided influential analyses of the naturalistic fallacy and its limits
5
Contributed foundational work on the relationship between morality, religion, and education