T.M. Scanlon
contemporaryContractualism, Analytic Philosophyb. 1940
Thomas Michael Scanlon is an American moral philosopher known for his contractualist ethical theory, which holds that an action is wrong if it would be disallowed by principles that no one could reasonably reject. A longtime professor at Harvard University, he has made major contributions to moral and political philosophy, particularly on the nature of reasons, responsibility, and the foundations of morality.
Notable Achievements
1
Developed contractualism as a moral theory in 'What We Owe to Each Other' (1998)
2
Articulated the distinction between moral wrongness and other normative concepts like harm and blame
3
Advanced influential accounts of tolerance, free expression, and the significance of choice
4
Published 'Moral Dimensions: Permissibility, Meaning, Blame' (2008) analyzing moral responsibility
5
Shaped contemporary metaethics through his work on reasons, values, and rational agency