1001Philosophers

R. M. Hare 1919 – 2002

R. M. Hare (1919 – 2002) was a British philosopher of the Contemporary era, associated with Analytic Philosophy.

Richard Mervyn Hare was a British analytic moral philosopher and White's Professor of Moral Philosophy at Oxford. After captivity in the Far East during the Second World War, he returned to develop a distinctive metaethical position known as universal prescriptivism, according to which moral judgements are universalizable imperatives. His The Language of Morals, Freedom and Reason, and Moral Thinking shaped post-war analytic ethics by combining a careful logical analysis of moral language with a substantive moral theory of two-level utilitarianism. He taught generations of moral philosophers, including Peter Singer.

Key facts

Nationality
British
Era
Contemporary
Movements
Analytic Philosophy

Selected quotes

  • Attributed to R. M. Hare:

    “Moral judgements are universalizable prescriptions.”

  • Attributed to R. M. Hare:

    “To call something good is to commend it.”

  • Attributed to R. M. Hare:

    “Universalizability is the formal property of moral judgements.”

  • Attributed to R. M. Hare:

    “Moral education is the cultivation of universalizable preferences.”

  • Attributed to R. M. Hare:

    “We must be ready to prescribe to ourselves what we prescribe to others.”

Read all R. M. Hare quotes

R. M. Hare by topic

Frequently asked about R. M. Hare

When did R. M. Hare live?
R. M. Hare was born in 1919 and died in 2002.
Where was R. M. Hare from?
R. M. Hare was a British philosopher of the Contemporary era.
What philosophical movements is R. M. Hare associated with?
R. M. Hare was associated with Analytic Philosophy.
What was R. M. Hare known for?
Richard Mervyn Hare was a British analytic moral philosopher and White's Professor of Moral Philosophy at Oxford.
How many quotes are attributed to R. M. Hare?
There are 11 attributed quotations from R. M. Hare in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.