Peter Unger
Encyclopedia
Peter K. Unger is a contemporary American philosopher and professor at New York University
. His main interests lie in the fields of metaphysics
, epistemology, ethics
, and the philosophy of mind
. He attended Swarthmore College
at the same time as David Lewis
, earning a B.A. in philosophy in 1962, and Oxford University, where he studied under A. J. Ayer and earned a doctorate in 1966.
Unger has written a defense of profound philosophical skepticism
and claims that many philosophical questions cannot be definitively answered. In the field of applied ethics, he argues that one has a moral duty to make large donations to life-saving charities (such as Oxfam
and UNICEF) if one can, even if one has to beg, borrow, or steal in the process. Unger, moreover, has also used the paradox of the heap to argue for mereological nihilism
, which entails that he, along with all other composite objects, does not exist.
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. His main interests lie in the fields of metaphysics
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
, epistemology, ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
, and the philosophy of mind
Philosophy of mind
Philosophy of mind is a branch of philosophy that studies the nature of the mind, mental events, mental functions, mental properties, consciousness and their relationship to the physical body, particularly the brain. The mind-body problem, i.e...
. He attended Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
at the same time as David Lewis
David Kellogg Lewis
David Kellogg Lewis was an American philosopher. Lewis taught briefly at UCLA and then at Princeton from 1970 until his death. He is also closely associated with Australia, whose philosophical community he visited almost annually for more than thirty years...
, earning a B.A. in philosophy in 1962, and Oxford University, where he studied under A. J. Ayer and earned a doctorate in 1966.
Unger has written a defense of profound philosophical skepticism
Philosophical skepticism
Philosophical skepticism is both a philosophical school of thought and a method that crosses disciplines and cultures. Many skeptics critically examine the meaning systems of their times, and this examination often results in a position of ambiguity or doubt...
and claims that many philosophical questions cannot be definitively answered. In the field of applied ethics, he argues that one has a moral duty to make large donations to life-saving charities (such as Oxfam
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
and UNICEF) if one can, even if one has to beg, borrow, or steal in the process. Unger, moreover, has also used the paradox of the heap to argue for mereological nihilism
Mereological nihilism
Mereological nihilism is the position that objects with proper parts do not exist , and only basic building blocks without parts exist...
, which entails that he, along with all other composite objects, does not exist.
Books
- Ignorance: A Case for Scepticism (Oxford University PressOxford University PressOxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
, 1975 and 2002) ISBN 0198244177 - Philosophical Relativity (Blackwell and Minnesota, 1984; Oxford, 2002) ISBN 019515553X
- Identity, Consciousness and Value (Oxford, 1990) ISBN 0-19-507917-5
- Living High and Letting DieLiving High and Letting DieLiving High and Letting Die: Our Illusion of Innocence ISBN 0-19-510859-0 is a philosophical book by Peter K. Unger, published in 1996. Inspired by Peter Singer's 1971 essay "Famine, Affluence, and Morality," Unger argues that for people in the developed world to live morally, they are morally...
: Our Illusion of Innocence (Oxford, 1996) ISBN 0-19-510859-0 - All the Power in the World (Oxford, 2006) ISBN 0-19-515561-0
- Philosophical Papers, Volume 1 (Oxford, 2006) ISBN 0-19-515552-1
- Philosophical Papers, Volume 2 (Oxford, 2006) ISBN 0-19-530158-7
Articles
- "I do not Exist", in Perception and Identity, G. F. MacDonald (ed.), London: Macmillan, 1979.
- "The Problem of the Many", Midwest Studies in Philosophy, vol. 5 (1980), pp. 411‑467.
- "Free Will and Scientiphicalism", Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, vol. 65 (2002).
- "The Survival of the Sentient", Philosophical Perspectives, vol. 14 (2000).