Origins & Early Life

Richard Mervyn Hare (21 March 1919 – 29 January 2002) was a British moral philosopher who held the post of White's Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Oxford from 1966 until 1983. He subsequently taught for a number of years at the University of Florida. His meta-ethical theories were influential during the second half of the twentieth century. Hare is best known for his development of prescriptivism as a meta-ethical theory, which he argues is supported by analysis of formal features of moral discourse, and for his defence of preference utilitarianism based on his prescriptivism.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Some of Hare's tutorial students, such as Brian McGuinness, John Lucas, and Bernard Williams, went on to become well-known philosophers. Hare's son, John E. Hare, also became a philosopher. Peter Singer, known for his involvement with the animal liberation movement (who studied Hare's work as an honours student at the University of Melbourne and came to know Hare personally while he was an Oxford BPhil graduate student), has explicitly adopted some elements of Hare's thought, though not his doctrine of universal prescriptivism. Richard Hare was born on 21 March 1919 in...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Andrew Carnegie — Contemporary (Died in 1919) (1919): Scottish-American industrialist who pioneered the American steel industry and became a major philanthropist.
• Beate Uhse-Rotermund — Contemporary (Born in 1919) (1919): Pioneering German pilot and influential founder of the modern sex shop industry.
• Berniece Baker Miracle — Contemporary (Born in 1919) (1919): American writer celebrated for her memoir on Marilyn Monroe.
• Abba Eban — Contemporary (Died in 2002) (2002): Israeli diplomat, politician, and scholar of Arabic and Hebrew languages.
• Astrid Lindgren — Contemporary (Died in 2002) (2002): Iconic Swedish children's author, celebrated for imaginative tales and advocacy.
• Benson Boone — Contemporary (Born in 2002) (2002): American singer-songwriter known for powerful vocals and emotional ballads.
• André Le Nôtre — Shared historical date (03-12 · Born) (1613): Master French landscape architect, famed for the formal gardens of Versailles.
• Asa Griggs Candler — Shared historical date (03-12 · Died) (1929): American business magnate and politician, most famous for founding the Coca-Cola Company.
• Abdus Salam — Shared historical date (01-29 · Born) (1926): Pioneering Pakistani theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate.
• Alexander Pushkin — Shared historical date (01-29 · Died) (1837): Founder of modern Russian literature and a towering figure of the Romantic era.
• 1919 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1919
• March 12 (03-12) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on March 12
• 2002 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2002
• January 29 (01-29) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on January 29