William P. Alston (born 1921 - 13 September, 2009) was professor emeritus at
Syracuse UniversitySyracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, U.S.A.. It was founded as a university in 1870, but its roots can be traced back to a seminary founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832 which eventually became Genesee College...
, and has made influential contributions to the
philosophy of languagePhilosophy of language is the reasoned inquiry into the nature, origins, and usage of language. As a topic, the philosophy of language for analytic philosophers is concerned with four central problems: the nature of meaning, language use, language cognition, and the relationship between language...
,
epistemologyEpistemology or theory of knowledge is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature and scope of knowledge...
and
Christian philosophyChristian philosophy is a term to describe the fusion of various fields of philosophy with the theological doctrines of Christianity.-Reconciling Christianity with philosophy:...
. He earned his PhD from the
University of ChicagoThe University of Chicago is a private, coeducational research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by oil magnate and benefactor John D...
and has taught at
Rutgers UniversityRutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in the state of New Jersey. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766 and is the eighth-oldest college in the United States...
and the
University of MichiganThe University of Michigan, Ann Arbor is a public research university located in the state of Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university, the flagship campus of the University of Michigan, and one of the top public universities in the world...
.
His views on
foundationalismFoundationalism is any theory in epistemology that holds that beliefs are justified based on what are called basic beliefs . Basic beliefs are beliefs that give justificatory support to other beliefs, and more derivative beliefs are based on those more basic beliefs...
,
internalism versus externalismInternalism and externalism are the names of two contrasting theories in several areas of philosophy. The distinction between internal and external entities arises in many areas of debate with similar but distinct meanings.- Motivation :...
and
speech actsIllocutionary act is a term in linguistics introduced by John L. Austin in investigations concerning what he calls 'performative' and 'constative utterances'...
, among many other topics, have been very influential. Alston has also done important work in
metaphysicsMetaphysics investigates principles of reality transcending those of any particular science. Cosmology and ontology are traditional branches of metaphysics. It is concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world...
and other fields. Alston is counted among the
analytic philosophersAnalytic philosophy is a generic term for a style of philosophy that came to dominate English-speaking countries in the 20th century...
.
Together with other philosophers (
Alvin PlantingaAlvin Carl Plantinga is an American philosopher, currently the John A. O'Brien Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. He is known for his work in epistemology, metaphysics, and the philosophy of religion, and in particular for applying the methods of analytic philosophy to defend...
,
Nicholas WolterstorffNicholas Wolterstorff is the Noah Porter Professor Emeritus of Philosophical Theology, and Fellow of Berkeley College at Yale University. A prolific writer with wide-ranging philosophical and theological interests, he has written books on metaphysics, aesthetics, political philosophy, epistemology...
, Robert Adams) Alston was involved in setting up the philosophy journal
Faith and philosophy and the
Society of Christian Philosophers. Alston is a past president of the
American Philosophical AssociationThe 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...
and was one of the core figures in the late 20th century revival of the philosophy of religion.
Professor Alston died at his home Sunday 13 September 2009.
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