b. 1949
Larry May is an American philosopher at Vanderbilt University whose work spans social ethics, collective responsibility, and international humanitarian law. He is best known for his sustained philosophical analysis of shared and collective moral responsibility, as well as his contributions to the philosophy of war crimes and crimes against humanity. His work on masculinity and morality has also addressed questions of gender, violence, and complicity.
Developed an influential account of shared and collective moral responsibility for groups and institutions
Applied social ethics to international criminal law, producing major works on war crimes and crimes against humanity
Authored 'Masculinity and Morality' (1998), examining how gender norms shape moral responsibility and complicity in harm
Contributed to the normative theory of genocide through 'Genocide: A Normative Account' (2010)
Bridged analytic moral philosophy and international law in 'War Crimes and Just War' (2007)