b. 1954
Michael Smith is a prominent contemporary analytic philosopher known for his work in metaethics, moral psychology, and action theory. He is best known for his dispositional theory of normative reasons and his influential book *The Moral Problem*, which defends a cognitivist, realist account of moral judgment while explaining the motivational dimension of moral belief. He has held positions at Princeton University and the Australian National University.
Authored *The Moral Problem* (1994), a landmark work in metaethics defending moral realism with a Humean theory of motivation
Developed the dispositional theory of normative reasons, grounding reasons in what an ideally rational agent would desire
Contributed foundational analyses of the relationship between moral judgment, motivation, and rational agency
Advanced debate on the compatibility of free will with metaphysical and ethical commitments
Defended a consequentialist account of wrongness in terms of failure to maximize utility