Background
Melden, Abraham lrving was born on February 9, 1910 in Montreal, Canada.
Melden, Abraham lrving was born on February 9, 1910 in Montreal, Canada.
University of California. Los Angeles. BA 1931. Brown University, Manuscripts and Archives 1932, University of California, Berkeley, PhD 1938. tnfls.
Literary influences include Moore, Wittgenstein, Ryle and A. E. Murphy. Personal influences include Ralph Blake, Murphy, Arthur Smullyan, ASesonske and M. Black.
Instructor, University of California, Berkeley, 1939-1941. Assistant, Associate then full Professor of Philos°phy. University of Washington.
1946-1904: Professor of Philosophy. University of California, Irvine. 1964 77; Professor Emeritus, from 1977.
Recalled. 1977-1982; President of the American Philosophical Association, 1962: served several years as editor of Philosophy Research Archives and coedited ‘The Basic Problems in Philosophy series of Wadsworth Publishing Company.
Melden’s writings on action generated intense discussion. He became noted for his discussions of rights, starting with an essay ‘The concept of universal human rights', in Language, Science, and Human Rights, which started him on a lifelong pursuit of this topic, as indicated in the titles of three of the books listed above, the first of which, Rights and Right Conduct (1959) also made some acute contributions to understanding moral reasoning. Rejecting any sharp distinction between is and ought. Melden argued that certain factual claims, such as ‘He is your father', already imply certain judgements about how one ought to act, without the need for some universal normative major premise. A similar theme was also argued in his Presidential Address of 1962: that reasons for action are grounded in facts, which have their moral relevance built in as part of the way of life of the community in which these facts are recognized and described as they are. He later argued that rights are distinct moral entities, irreducible to duties or obligations and the notion of right conduct; are inextricably linked with human personality; and must be recognized as an essential feature of moral situations and moral discourse. Melden s work has been constantly referred to and commented on. He was awarded several fellowships and received numerous invitations to lecture around the world. He wrote in a lucid and graceful style, without recourse to unneeded technicalities, and he was an excellent editor of other people’s work. However, Melden’s distinctive ideas about the essential nature and character of rights, as an ineliminable feature of morality, still remain to be appreciated, discussed and appraised. A number of discussions are listed in the Philosopher's Index.