Loren E. Lomasky is an American

philosopher A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...

, formerly the Cory Professor of Political Philosophy, Policy and Law at the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...

Biography

Lomasky earned his PhD from the

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from H ...

, and has previously taught at

Bowling Green State University Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is a public research university in Bowling Green, Ohio. The main academic and residential campus is south of Toledo, Ohio. The university has nationally recognized programs and research facilities in the ...

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

, the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...

Duluth , settlement_type = City , nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City , motto = , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...

, and the

Australian National University The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies an ...

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

. He has also been a contributing editor to ''

Reason Reason is the capacity of consciously applying logic by drawing conclusions from new or existing information, with the aim of seeking the truth. It is closely associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, science, lang ...

'' magazine. Lomasky has written principally on

ethics Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concer ...

and

political philosophy Political philosophy or political theory is the philosophical study of government, addressing questions about the nature, scope, and legitimacy of public agents and institutions and the relationships between them. Its topics include politics, ...

. His book ''Persons, Rights, and the Moral Community'' established his reputation as a leading advocate of a rights-based approach to moral and social issues. Besides these, his teaching interests include the

philosophy of religion Philosophy of religion is "the philosophical examination of the central themes and concepts involved in religious traditions". Philosophical discussions on such topics date from ancient times, and appear in the earliest known texts concerning p ...

medieval philosophy Medieval philosophy is the philosophy that existed through the Middle Ages, the period roughly extending from the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century until after the Renaissance in the 13th and 14th centuries. Medieval philosophy, ...

, and other periods in the history of philosophy. Lomasky has been the recipient of many awards including the 1991 Matchette Prize for his ''Persons, Rights, and the Moral Community''. Professor Lomasky has held research appointments sponsored by the NEH, the Center for the Study of Public Choice, the

and Bowling Green's Social Philosophy and Policy Center.

On meat eating

Lomasky is a noted opponent of

animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as avoiding suffering—should be afforded the s ...

. He authored the paper "Is it wrong to eat animals?", in 2013 which defends meat eating and criticizes the arguments of moral

vegetarianism Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetarianis ...

. Lomasky argues that the pleasures of consuming meat "afford human beings goods comparable qualitatively and quantitatively to those held forth by the arts. Lives of many people would be significantly impaired were they to forgo carnivorous consumption."

Selected publications

* "When Hard Heads Collide: A Philosopher Encounters Public Choice," ''The American Journal of Economics and Sociology'', 63 (2004). * "Liberty and Welfare Goods: Reflection on Clashing Liberalisms," ''Journal of Ethics'' 4 (2000). * "Aid Without Egalitarianism: Assisting Indigent Defendants," in William C. Heffernan & John Kleinig (eds.), ''From Social Justice to Criminal Justice'', Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000, . * ''Democracy and Decision: The Pure Theory of Electoral Preference'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993, (with Geoffrey Brennan). * ''Politics and Process: New Essays in Democratic Thought'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1989, (co-editor, with Geoffrey Brennan). * ''Persons, Rights, and the Moral Community'', Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987, .

References

External links

Lomaskys's writings at the Independent Review

Lomasky's writings
at the

Competitive Enterprise Institute The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) is a non-profit libertarian think tank founded by the political writer Fred L. Smith Jr. on March 9, 1984, in Washington, D.C., to advance principles of limited government, free enterprise, and individ ...

site.
Lomasky's writings at the Foundation for Economic Education

"Is Social Security Politically Untouchable?"
'' The Cato Journal'', 5 (Spring/Summer 1985). {{DEFAULTSORT:Lomasky, Loren Year of birth missing (living people) 20th-century American philosophers American libertarians American political philosophers Cato Institute people Critics of animal rights Critics of vegetarianism Libertarian theorists Living people University of Connecticut alumni University of Virginia faculty

Biography

On meat eating

Selected publications

See also

References

External links