Education
Velleman received his Doctor of Philosophy from Princeton University in 1983 under the supervision of David K. Lewis.
(In 'Foundations for Moral Relativism' a distinguished mor...)
In 'Foundations for Moral Relativism' a distinguished moral philosopher tames a bugbear of current debate about cultural difference. J. David Velleman shows that different communities can indeed be subject to incompatible moralities, because their local mores are rationally binding. At the same time, he explains why the mores of different communities, even when incompatible, are still variations on the same moral themes. The book thus maps out a universe of many moral worlds without, as Velleman puts it, "moral black holes". The five self-standing chapters discuss such diverse topics as online avatars and virtual worlds, lying in Russian and truth-telling in Quechua, the pleasure of solitude and the fear of absurdity. Accessibly written, 'Foundations for Moral Relativism' presupposes no prior training in philosophy.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1909254444/?tag=2022091-20
(In How We Get Along, philosopher David Velleman compares ...)
In How We Get Along, philosopher David Velleman compares our social interactions to the interactions among improvisational actors on stage. He argues that we play ourselves-not artificially but authentically, by doing what would make sense coming from us as we really are. And like improvisational actors, we deal with one another in dual capacities: both as characters within the social drama and as players contributing to the shared performance. In this conception of social intercourse, Velleman finds rational grounds for morality, though not a rational guarantee. He maps a middle course between skepticism and rationalism, arguing that practical reasoning is "pro-moral' without requiring moral action. The result is what he calls a "Kinda Kantian metaethics". Written in an accessible and engaging style, How We Get Along is the summation of Velleman's thinking to date, incorporating and unifying previous work on agency, the self, the emotions, narrative, and Kantian moral theory.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521043409/?tag=2022091-20
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NAO597U/?tag=2022091-20
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FKRX66W/?tag=2022091-20
(In this new edition of Foundations for Moral Relativism a...)
In this new edition of Foundations for Moral Relativism a distinguished moral philosopher tames a bugbear of current debate about cultural difference. J. David Velleman shows that different communities can indeed be subject to incompatible moralities, because their local mores are rationally binding. At the same time, he explains why the mores of different communities, even when incompatible, are still variations on the same moral themes. The book thus maps out a universe of many moral worlds without, as Velleman puts it, "moral black holes". The six self-standing chapters discuss such diverse topics as online avatars and virtual worlds, lying in Russian and truth-telling in Quechua, the pleasure of solitude and the fear of absurdity. Accessibly written, this book presupposes no prior training in philosophy.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1783740337/?tag=2022091-20
philosopher university professor
Velleman received his Doctor of Philosophy from Princeton University in 1983 under the supervision of David K. Lewis.
He taught previously for more than twenty years at the University of Michigan. He primarily works in the areas of ethics, moral psychology, and related areas such as the philosophy of action, constitutivism and practical reasoning. He has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Guggenheim Foundation.
He is founding co-editor with Stephen Darwall of Philosophers" Imprint, an on-line, peer-refereed philosophy journal.
Several of his former students are now established philosophers, including Connie Rosati at the University of Arizona and Nishiten Shah at Amherst College.
(In this new edition of Foundations for Moral Relativism a...)
(In How We Get Along, philosopher David Velleman compares ...)
(In 'Foundations for Moral Relativism' a distinguished mor...)
