Derek Parfit
British moral philosopher whose Reasons and Persons is the most important work of analytic moral philosophy since Rawls. His discussion of personal identity, population ethics, and the repugnant conclusion transformed debate in ethics. On What Matters, published near his death, attempts to unify three moral theories.
Works
- Reasons and PersonsParfit's inquiry into rationality, morality, and personal identity, arguing identity is less important than we think
- On What MattersParfit's later work on ethics and metaphysics, defending rational and moral realism against skepticism
- Personal IdentityParfit's essays on what personal identity is and how it relates to survival, rationality, and morality