b. 1943
Lawrence Blum is a contemporary American moral philosopher known for his work on moral perception, friendship, altruism, and the ethics of race. He has made significant contributions to virtue ethics and moral psychology, and is particularly noted for his sustained engagement with questions of racism, multiculturalism, and moral education.
Developed an influential account of altruism and friendship as morally significant in 'Friendship, Altruism and Morality' (1980)
Advanced the concept of moral perception — the capacity to discern morally salient features of situations
Authored 'I'm Not a Racist, But...' (2002), a careful philosophical analysis of racism and racial thinking in everyday life
Contributed to multicultural moral education, arguing for the moral importance of recognizing racial and cultural difference
Critiqued impartialist Kantian ethics for neglecting the moral significance of particular relationships