Biography
Born and raised in Australia, Michael Smith studied philosophy at Monash University (1972-1979), and then became an English and Politics teacher at Melbourne Boys High School (1980-1981). After two years as a high school teacher, a Commonwealth Overseas Scholarship enabled him to continue his studies at Oxford University. There he read for the BPhil and DPhil in philosophy (1981-1984), working closely with R. M. Hare, Jennifer Hornsby, and Simon Blackburn. Blackburn supervised his DPhil thesis, so Smith's philosophy family tree traces back, via Blackburn, to Casmir Lewy, G. E. Moore, James Ward, Hermann Lotze, and Christian Hermann Weisse.
Smith began teaching philosophy as Stipendiary Lecturer at Wadham College, Oxford (1984). After leaving Oxford, he went on to teach at Monash University (1984-5), Princeton University (1985-9), and Monash University again (1989-94), before moving to a full-time research position in the Philosophy Program at the Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University (1995-2004). The latter move occasioned his then-colleague at Monash, Richard Holton, to write a short piece of doggerel for him.
In 2004, Smith returned to teach at Princeton, where he was named McCosh Professor of Philosophy in 2009. You can find out a little about McCosh's own philosophical work by reading David Sanford's amusing introduction when Smith gave the Claire Miller Lecture at Chapel Hill in 2011. Smith became chair of the Department of Philosophy in 2012. He is also Associated Faculty Member in the Department of Politics at Princeton, and Honorary Fellow in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at Melbourne University. He is Fellow of the Australian Academy of Humanities, the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Smith's current research focuses on topics in ethics, moral psychology, philosophy of action, political philosophy, and philosophy of law. He is the author of The Moral Problem (1994), which won the American Philosophical Association Book Prize, and Ethics and the A Priori: Selected Essays on Moral Psychology and Meta-Ethics (2004), which was the subject of an amusing review by Constantine Sandis. He is also the co-author of Mind, Morality and Explanation: Selected Collaborations (2004), a collection of papers written in various combinations by Smith and his two long-time colleagues, Frank Jackson and Philip Pettit (the gif was made some years ago by David Estlund).
For more information about Michael Smith, see the entry about him in Companion to Philosophy in Australia (2010), or the interview with him in The Antipodean Philosopher Volume 2: Interviews with Australian and New Zealand Philosophers (2012). A video of Michael Smith talking at Justice for Hedgehogs, a conference on Ronald Dworkin's book of the same name held at Boston University in 2009, can be seen here. A video of him talking at Reasons and Rationality: Epistemic and Practical, a workshop held at St Andrews, Scotland, in 2013, can be seen here. A color version of the homepage photo is available here, a black and white version here, and other photos here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Graduate Teaching
A list of the PhD students Smith has supervised is available on the Philosophy Family Tree Wiki.
Since he has been at Princeton, Smith has taught the following graduate classes:
AY 2014-15
PHI525 Recent Work in Metaethics and Moral Philosophy (Spring 2015)
AY 2013-14
POL563/PHI526 Philosophy of Law,
co-taught with Robert P. George (Spring 2014)
AY 2012-13
PHI524 Systematic Ethics: Seminars on topics in Moral Psychology, Meta-Ethics, and Normative Ethics,
co-taught with Frank Jackson and Philip Pettit (Fall 2012)
AY 2011-12
PHI523 Problems of Philosophy: Topics in Normative Ethics, Meta-Ethics, Moral Psychology, and Moral Methodology
(Spring 2012)
AY 2010-11 on leave
AY 2009-10
Readings for Judith Jarvis Thomson's graduate seminar
(Fall 2009)
PHI523 Problems of Philosophy: Topics in Normative Ethics, Meta-Ethics, Moral Psychology, and Moral Methodology
(Fall 2009)
AY 2008-9
PHI524 Systematic Ethics: Themes from Setiya, Bratman, and Dancy
(Fall 2008)
AY 2007-8
PHI524 Systematic Ethics: Themes from Railton, Raz, and Scanlon
(Fall 2007)
AY 2006-7
PHI599 Dissertation Seminar
(Fall 2006)
PHI524 Systematic Ethics: Themes from Velleman, Herman, and Langton
(Fall 2006)
AY 2005-6
PHI524 Systematic Ethics: Themes from Darwall, Wallace, and Watson
(Spring 2006)
AY 2004-5
PHI524 Systematic Ethics: Themes from Copp, Sayre-McCord, and Wolf
(Spring 2005)
Drafts & Articles
Draft Papers - please do not cite without permission
"The 'What' and 'Why' of Love's Reasons" (draft of October 2014)
"Parfit's Mistaken Meta-Ethics"
"Schiffers's Unhappy Face Solution to a Puzzle about Moral Judgement"
Selected Published Articles - for a complete list see my CV
2013
"The Ideal of Orthonomous Action, Or: The How and Why of BuckPassing" in Thinking About Reasons:
Essays in Honour of Jonathan
Dancy edited by David Bakhurst, Brad Hooker, and Margaret Little
(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013), pp.50-75.
2012
"Agents and Patients, Or: What We Learn about Reasons for Action by
Reflecting on Our Choices in Process-of-Thought Cases" in Proceedings of
the Aristotelian Society, CXII, 2012, pp.309-330.
"Naturalism, Absolutism, Relativism" in Ethical Naturalism: Current
Debates edited by Susana Nuccetelli and Gary Seay (Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2012) pp.226-244.
"Four Objections to the Standard Story of Action (and Four Replies)" in
Philosophical Issues, 22, Action Theory, 2012, pp.387-401.
2011
"Deontological Moral Obligations and Non-Welfarist Agent-Relative
Values" in Ratio, XXIV, 2011 pp.351-363
"Beyond Belief, Desire, and Rationality, Or: The Unsettling Truth about
the Conditions of Responsibility" in Compatibilist Responsibility: Beyond
Free Will and Determinism edited by Nicole Vincent, Ibo van de Poel, and 3
Jeroen van den Hoven (New York: Springer Publishing, 2011) pp.53-70
"Scanlon on Desire and the Explanation of Action" in Reasons and
Recognition: Essays on the Philosophy of T.M. Scanlon, edited by Samuel
Freeman, Rahul Kumar, and R. Jay Wallace (New York, Oxford
University Press, 2011) pp.79-97.
"The Value of Making and Keeping Promises" in Promises and
Agreements: Philosophical Essays, edited by Hanoch Sheinman (New
York: Oxford University Press, 2011) pp.198-216
2010
"On Normativity" in Analysis, 70, 2010 pp. 715-731
"Moral Obligation, Accountability, and Second-Personal Reasons" in
Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 81, 2010 pp.237–245
(coauthored with Jada Twedt Strabbing)
"Beyond the Error Theory" in A World Without Values: Essays on John
Mackie's Moral Error Theory edited by Richard Joyce and Simon Kirchin
(New York: Springer, 2010) pp.119-139.
2009
"Reasons With Rationalism After All" in Analysis Reviews, 69, 2009, pp.1-10.
"Consequentialism and the Nearest and Dearest Objection" in Minds,
Ethics, and Conditionals: Themes from the Philosophy of Frank Jackson
edited by Ian Ravenscroft (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009) pp.237-266.
"The Explanatory Role of Being Rational" in Reasons for Action edited
by David Sobel and Steven Wall (New York: Cambridge University Press,
2009) pp.58-80.
"Two Kinds of Consequentialism" in Philosophical Issues, 19, 2009,
Metaethics, pp. 257-272.
"Desires, Values, Reasons, and the Dualism of Practical Reason" in Ratio
Special Issue: Parfit's On What Matters edited by John Cottingham and
Jussi Suikkanen, 22, 2009, pp.98-125.
2008
"The Truth About Internalism" in Moral Psychology Volume 3: The
Neuroscience of Morality: Emotion, Brain Disorders, and Development
edited by Walter Sinnott-Armstrong (New York: Oxford University Press,
2008) pp.207-215
2007
"Is there a Nexus between Reasons and Rationality?" in Moral
Psychology edited by Sergio Tenenbaum (Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2007) pp.279-298.
(The published version of this paper is garbled for some reason, so
I am making the proofs available instead.)
2006
"Is That All There Is?" in The Journal of Ethics (10) 2006, Special Issue
on Joel Feinberg, pp.75-106.
"Moore on the Right, the Good, and Uncertainty" in Metaethics After
Moore edited by Terence Horgan and Mark Timmons (Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2006), pp.133-148.
"External Reasons" in McDowell and His Critics edited by Cynthia
Macdonald and Graham Macdonald (Oxford: Blackwell, 2006)
(coauthored with Philip Pettit) pp.140-168.
"Absolutist Moral Theories and Uncertainty" in Journal of Philosophy,
103, 2006, pp.267-283 (co-authored with Frank Jackson).
2005
"Metaethics" in Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Philosophy edited by
Frank Jackson and Michael Smith (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005) pp.3-30.
2004
"Instrumental Desires, Instrumental Rationality" in Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society,
Supplementary Volume (78) 2004, pp.93-109.
"The Truth in Deontology" in Reason and Value: Themes from the Moral
Philosophy of Joseph Raz edited by R.Jay Wallace, Philip Pettit, Samuel
Scheffler and Michael Smith (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004),
pp.153-175 (co-authored with Philip Pettit).
"The Structure of Orthonomy" in Action and Agency (Royal Institute of
Philosophy Supplement: 55) edited by John Hyman and Helen Steward
(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004) pp.165-193.
"Humean Rationality" in The Handbook of Rationality edited by Alfred
Mele and Piers Rawling (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004),
pp.75-92.
2003
"Neutral and Relative Value after Moore" in Ethics, Centenary
Symposium on G.E.Moore's Principia Ethica, 113, 2003, pp.576-598.
"Is There a Lockean Argument Against Expressivism?" in Analysis, 63,
2003, pp.76-86 (co-authored with Daniel Stoljar).
2002
"Which Passions Rule?" in Philosophy and Phenomenological Research,
65, 2002, pp.157–63.
"Bernard Gert's Complex Hybrid Conception of Rationality" in
Rationality, Rules, and Ideals: Critical Essays on Bernard Gert's Moral
Theory edited by Walter Sinnott-Armstrong and Robert Audi (Lanham,
Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield, 2002), pp.109-123.
2001
"Immodest Consequentialism and Character" in Utilitas, Special Issue on
Consequentialism and Character edited by Julia Driver, 13, 2001 pp.173-194.
"Some Not-Much-Discussed Problems for Non-Cognitivism in Ethics" in
Ratio, 14, 2001, pp.93-115 (starred contribution).
"Irresistible Impulse" in Intention in Law and Philosophy edited by
Ngaire Naffine, Rosemary Owens and John Williams (Aldershot: Ashgate,
2001) pp.37-56.
"Responsibility and Self-Control" in Relating to Responsibility: Essays in
Honour of Tony Honore on his 80th Birthday edited by Peter Cane and
John Gardner (Oxford: Hart Publishing, 2001), pp.1-19.
"The Resentment Argument" in Exploring Practical Philosophy edited by
Dan Egonsson, Jonas Josefsson, Björn Petersson, Toni RønnowRasmussen
(Aldershot: Ashgate, 2001), pp.109-122.
2000
"Global Consequentialism" in Morality, Rules, and Consequences: A
Critical Reader edited by Brad Hooker, Elinor Mason and Dale E. Miller
(Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2000) pp.121-133 (co-authored
with Philip Pettit).
1999
"Search for the Source" in Philosophical Quarterly 49, 1999, pp.384-394.
"Morality and Law" in The Philosophy of Law: An Encyclopedia edited
by Christopher B.Gray (New York: Garland, 1999) pp.567a-570b.
"The Definition of 'Moral'" in Singer and His Critics edited by Dale
Jamieson (Oxford: Blackwell, 1999) pp.38-63.
"The Non-Arbitrariness of Reasons: Reply to Lenman" in Utilitas, 11,
1999 pp.178-193.
1998
"Global Response-Dependence and Noumenal Realism" in The Monist,
Special Issue on Secondary Qualities Generalized edited by Peter
Menzies, 81, 1998, pp.85-111 (co-authored with Daniel Stoljar)
"Galen Strawson and the Weather Watchers" in Philosophy and
Phenomenological Research, 58, 1998, pp.449-454
"Response-Dependence Without Reduction" in European Review of
Philosophy, Special Issue on Response-Dependence edited by Roberto
Casati and Christine Tappolet, 3, 1998, pp.85-108.
1997
"Synchronic Self-Control is Always Non-Actional" in Analysis, 57,
1997, pp.123-131 (co-authored with Jeanette Kennett)
"How not to be Muddled by a Meddlesome Muggletonian" in
Australasian Journal of Philosophy, 75, 1997, pp.511-527 (co-authored
with John Bigelow)
1996
"Normative Reasons and Full Rationality: Reply to Swanton" in
Analysis, 56, 1996, pp.160-168.
"The Argument for Internalism: Reply to Miller" in Analysis, 56, 1996,
pp.175-184.
1995
"Reply to Ingmar Persson's Critical Notice of The Moral Problem" in
Theoria, 61, Part 2, 1995, pp. 159-181.
"Internal Reasons" in Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 55,
1995, pp.109-131.
1994
"Why Expressivists About Value Should Love Minimalism About Truth"
in Analysis, 54, 1994, pp.1-12.
"Minimalism, Truth-Aptitude, and Belief" in Analysis, 54, 1994, pp.21-26.
1993
"Colour, Transparency, Mind-Independence" in Reality, Representation,
and Projection edited by John Haldane and Crispin Wright (Oxford:
Oxford University Press, 1993), pp.269-277.
1992
"Valuing: Desiring or Believing?" in Reduction, Explanation, and Realism
edited by David Charles and Kathleen Lennon (Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 1992), pp.323-360.
1991
"Realism" in Companion to Ethics
edited by Peter Singer (Oxford: Blackwell, 1991), pp. 399-410.
1989
"Dispositional Theories of Value" in
Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, Supplementary Volume
(63) 1989, pp.89-111.
1987-8
"Reason and Desire" in
Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society
(88) 1987-8, pp.243-256.
1987
"The Humean Theory of Motivation" in Mind (96) 1987, pp.36-61
1986
"Peacocke on Red and Red´" in Synthese 68, 1986, pp.559-576.
1983
"Actions, Attempts, and Internal Events" in Analysis 43, 1983, pp.142-146.
1980
"Did Socrates Kill Himself Intentionally?" in Philosophy, 55, 1980,
pp.253-254.
1978
"Descartes, God, and the Evil Spirit" in Sophia, 17, 1978,
pp.33-36 (co-authored with Robert Elliot).
1977
"Individuating Actions: A Reply to McCullagh and Thalberg" in
Australasian Journal of Philosophy, 75, 1977, pp.209-212 (co-authored
with Robert Elliot).
Contact
Mailing address:
Department of Philosophy
1879 Hall
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ 08544-1006
E-mail:
msmith@princeton.edu
Office location:
Room 113 1879 Hall
Office telephone: +1-609-258-4306
Department telephone: +1-609-258-4289
Department fax: +1-609-258-1502
Princeton University Department of Philosophy
Princeton University Home Page