John Broome (philosopher)
Encyclopedia
John Broome is a British
philosopher and economist
. He is currently the White's Professor of Moral Philosophy
at the University of Oxford
and a Fellow
of Corpus Christi College, Oxford
.
Broome was educated at the University of Cambridge
, at the University of London
and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
, where he received a PhD in economics
. Before arriving at Oxford he was Professor of Philosophy at the University of St. Andrews and, prior to that, Professor of Economics and Philosophy at the University of Bristol
. He has held visiting posts at the University of Virginia
, the Australian National University
, Princeton University
, the University of Washington
, the University of British Columbia
, the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study in the Social Sciences
, and the University of Canterbury
. In 2007 Broome was elected a Foreign Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
.
His pioneering book Weighing Goods (1991) explores the way in which goods "located" in each of the three "dimensions" -- time, people, states of nature—make up overall goodness. Broome argues that these dimensions are linked by what he calls the interpersonal addition theorem, which supports the utilitarian
principle of distribution. This investigation is carried further in his book Weighing Lives (2004), where the intuition that adding people to the population is ethically neutral is subjected to close examination, and eventually rejected. These systematic works are complemented by his Ethics out of Economics (1999), a collection of papers on topics at the intersection between moral philosophy and economic theory, such as value
, equality
, fairness
, and utility
. Broome's writings in all these three works are marked by rigorous formal presentation, careful argumentation and extraordinary lucidity.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
philosopher and economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
. He is currently the White's Professor of Moral Philosophy
White's Chair of Moral Philosophy
Endowed in 1621 by Thomas White , DD, Canon of Christ Church, the White's Chair of Moral Philosophy at the University of Oxford is, according to the website of the Oxford Centre for Ethics and Philosophy of Law, perhaps the most prestigious chair of moral philosophy in the world.Under the original...
at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
and a Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...
.
Broome was educated at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
, where he received a PhD in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. Before arriving at Oxford he was Professor of Philosophy at the University of St. Andrews and, prior to that, Professor of Economics and Philosophy at the University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
. He has held visiting posts at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
, Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
, the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study in the Social Sciences
Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study in the Social Sciences
The Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study in the Social Sciences is an institute for advanced study in Uppsala, Sweden. It is affiliated with Uppsala University and one of the nine member institutions of the Some Institutes for Advanced Study consortium....
, and the University of Canterbury
University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...
. In 2007 Broome was elected a Foreign Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences or Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. The Academy is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization which acts to promote the sciences, primarily the natural sciences and mathematics.The Academy was founded on 2...
.
His pioneering book Weighing Goods (1991) explores the way in which goods "located" in each of the three "dimensions" -- time, people, states of nature—make up overall goodness. Broome argues that these dimensions are linked by what he calls the interpersonal addition theorem, which supports the utilitarian
Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism is an ethical theory holding that the proper course of action is the one that maximizes the overall "happiness", by whatever means necessary. It is thus a form of consequentialism, meaning that the moral worth of an action is determined only by its resulting outcome, and that one can...
principle of distribution. This investigation is carried further in his book Weighing Lives (2004), where the intuition that adding people to the population is ethically neutral is subjected to close examination, and eventually rejected. These systematic works are complemented by his Ethics out of Economics (1999), a collection of papers on topics at the intersection between moral philosophy and economic theory, such as value
Value (economics)
An economic value is the worth of a good or service as determined by the market.The economic value of a good or service has puzzled economists since the beginning of the discipline. First, economists tried to estimate the value of a good to an individual alone, and extend that definition to goods...
, equality
Egalitarianism
Egalitarianism is a trend of thought that favors equality of some sort among moral agents, whether persons or animals. Emphasis is placed upon the fact that equality contains the idea of equity of quality...
, fairness
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
, and utility
Utility
In economics, utility is a measure of customer satisfaction, referring to the total satisfaction received by a consumer from consuming a good or service....
. Broome's writings in all these three works are marked by rigorous formal presentation, careful argumentation and extraordinary lucidity.
External links
- John Broome's home page at the University of Oxford. Includes a full list of publications and links to online papers.