Marcus George Singer
Encyclopedia
Marcus George Singer is an American philosopher, born in 1926. His works include Generalization in Ethics - An essay in the Logic of Ethics, with the Rudiments of a System of Moral Philosophy (1961).
. Immediately on receiving his doctorate, Singer accepted a position teaching in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he continued to teach until 1994. Marcus currently lives with his wife Blanche. Marcus has two daughters, Karen and Debra, and has one grand child, Isaac. Karen Singer is Principal and Artistic Director of Karen Singer Tileworks. (http://www.karensinger.com/Default.aspx). Debra Singer is a photographer/designer focused on environmental advocacy.
Singer served as the president of the American Philosophical Association
, Central Division, from 1985 until 1986.
's universalizability
principle, Singer argues that if it is acceptable for one person in a particular situation to take - or not take - an action, then it is acceptable for any person in that particular situation to do the same. He further posits that an action is ethical if the results would be positive if everyone took that action and the results would not be negative if no one took that action. According to Richard Flathman, Singer's 1961 book, Generalization in Ethics - An essay in the Logic of Ethics, with the Rudiments of a System of Moral Philosophy, was, at its publication, the "most detailed study of the topic" of generalization of the universalizability principle.
According to his profile in the Encyclopedia of Ethics, Singer's "writings also include important work on the moral philosophies of" John Stuart Mill
and Henry Sidgwick
. Singer's views of utilitarianism
have also been noted as some of the most influential of modern ethicists.
Personal life
Marcus Singer was born in 1926 in New York City. From 1944–1945 he served in the U.S. Army Air Forces. After mustering out of the army, he attended the University of Illinois, which awarded him a degree in 1948. In 1952, Singer earned his Ph.D. in philosophy at Cornell UniversityCornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
. Immediately on receiving his doctorate, Singer accepted a position teaching in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he continued to teach until 1994. Marcus currently lives with his wife Blanche. Marcus has two daughters, Karen and Debra, and has one grand child, Isaac. Karen Singer is Principal and Artistic Director of Karen Singer Tileworks. (http://www.karensinger.com/Default.aspx). Debra Singer is a photographer/designer focused on environmental advocacy.
Singer served as the president 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...
, Central Division, from 1985 until 1986.
Works
Singer's work describes a moral philosophy which has become known as the generalization argument. He further refines this philosophy in later works. Similar to Immanuel KantImmanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher from Königsberg , researching, lecturing and writing on philosophy and anthropology at the end of the 18th Century Enlightenment....
's universalizability
Universalizability
The concept of universalizability was set out by the 18th-century German philosopher Immanuel Kant as part of his work Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals. It is part of the first formulation of his categorical imperative, which states that the only morally acceptable maxims of our actions are...
principle, Singer argues that if it is acceptable for one person in a particular situation to take - or not take - an action, then it is acceptable for any person in that particular situation to do the same. He further posits that an action is ethical if the results would be positive if everyone took that action and the results would not be negative if no one took that action. According to Richard Flathman, Singer's 1961 book, Generalization in Ethics - An essay in the Logic of Ethics, with the Rudiments of a System of Moral Philosophy, was, at its publication, the "most detailed study of the topic" of generalization of the universalizability principle.
According to his profile in the Encyclopedia of Ethics, Singer's "writings also include important work on the moral philosophies of" John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill was a British philosopher, economist and civil servant. An influential contributor to social theory, political theory, and political economy, his conception of liberty justified the freedom of the individual in opposition to unlimited state control. He was a proponent of...
and Henry Sidgwick
Henry Sidgwick
Henry Sidgwick was an English utilitarian philosopher and economist. He was one of the founders and first president of the Society for Psychical Research, a member of the Metaphysical Society, and promoted the higher education of women...
. Singer's views of utilitarianism
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...
have also been noted as some of the most influential of modern ethicists.