John Lachs
Encyclopedia
John Lachs is the Centennial Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University
, where he has taught since 1967. Lachs received his Ph.D. from Yale University
in 1961. His primary focus is on American philosophy
(he has written a book and several articles on George Santayana
) and German idealism
.
in 1997. He is also recognized as an outstanding teacher at Vanderbilt faculty, recently receiving the Graduate Teaching Award (2000) and the Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Freshmen Award (1999). He was earlier awarded the Madison Sarratt Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (1972). His style is highly accessible as Lachs is committed to making philosophical questions and their discussion something within the grasp of all his audiences. Lachs is a pragmatist in the tradition of William James and Josiah Royce. He is the faculty adviser of Young Americans for Liberty at Vanderbilt University and is a libertarian.
Lachs is general editor of the Encyclopedia of American Philosophy. An issue of The Journal of Speculative Philosophy will be devoted to his essay "Both Better Off and Better: Moral Progress Amid Continuing Carnage," with responses from a half dozen philosophers.
He is also chair of the American Philosophical Association
's Centennial Committee, charged with celebrating the private value and social usefulness of philosophy. Plans are being made for activities throughout the country, ranging from radio programs to book signings and coffee house conversations, designed to show the relevance of philosophy to life.
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
, where he has taught since 1967. Lachs received his Ph.D. from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1961. His primary focus is on American philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
(he has written a book and several articles on George Santayana
George Santayana
George Santayana was a philosopher, essayist, poet, and novelist. A lifelong Spanish citizen, Santayana was raised and educated in the United States and identified himself as an American. He wrote in English and is generally considered an American man of letters...
) and German idealism
Idealism
In philosophy, idealism is the family of views which assert that reality, or reality as we can know it, is fundamentally mental, mentally constructed, or otherwise immaterial. Epistemologically, idealism manifests as a skepticism about the possibility of knowing any mind-independent thing...
.
Biography
Lachs has been a member of the Vanderbilt faculty since 1967. He has written a number of books and countless articles over this period and before. He served as President of the Metaphysical Society of AmericaMetaphysical Society of America
The Metaphysical Society of America is a philosophical organization founded by Paul Weiss in 1950 for promoting the study of metaphysics. The society is a member of the American Council of Learned Societies...
in 1997. He is also recognized as an outstanding teacher at Vanderbilt faculty, recently receiving the Graduate Teaching Award (2000) and the Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Freshmen Award (1999). He was earlier awarded the Madison Sarratt Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (1972). His style is highly accessible as Lachs is committed to making philosophical questions and their discussion something within the grasp of all his audiences. Lachs is a pragmatist in the tradition of William James and Josiah Royce. He is the faculty adviser of Young Americans for Liberty at Vanderbilt University and is a libertarian.
Research area
His philosophical interests center on human nature. This takes him into metaphysics, philosophy of mind, political philosophy, and ethics. He has continuing research interests in American philosophy and in German Idealism, along with research and teaching interests in medical and business ethics.Lachs is general editor of the Encyclopedia of American Philosophy. An issue of The Journal of Speculative Philosophy will be devoted to his essay "Both Better Off and Better: Moral Progress Amid Continuing Carnage," with responses from a half dozen philosophers.
He is also chair of the American Philosophical Association
American Philosophical Association
The American Philosophical Association is the main professional organization for philosophers in the United States. Founded in 1900, its mission is to promote the exchange of ideas among philosophers, to encourage creative and scholarly activity in philosophy, to facilitate the professional work...
's Centennial Committee, charged with celebrating the private value and social usefulness of philosophy. Plans are being made for activities throughout the country, ranging from radio programs to book signings and coffee house conversations, designed to show the relevance of philosophy to life.
Publications
A recipient of the Herbert Schneider Award for Lifetime Contributions to American Philosophy in 1997, Lachs is also the author of the following books, among others:- Intermediate Man. Hacket Publishers, Indianapolis, 1981, paperback 1983.
- Mind and Philosophers. Vanderbilt University Press, 1987.
- The Relevance of Philosophy to Life, Vanderbilt University Press, 1995.
- In Love with Life, Vanderbilt University Press, 1998.
- Thinking in the Ruins: Wittgenstein and Santayana. Vanderbilt University Press, 2000.
- A Community of Individuals. Routledge, 2003.
- The Philosophy of William Ernest Hocking (ed. with Micah Hester), Vanderbilt University Press 2001.
- "Human Natures," Proceedings of the American Philosophical Association, 1990.