John Broome
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| John Broome | |
|---|---|
| Name | John Broome |
| Birth date | 1947 |
| Birth place | United Kingdom |
| Nationality | British people |
| Fields | Philosophy, Economics, Logic |
| Institutions | Yale, Oxford, UC Berkeley |
| Alma mater | Oxford |
| Known for | Ethical theory, welfare economics, intertemporal choice |
John Broome
John Broome is a British philosopher and economist noted for his work on normative ethics, welfare economics, and the philosophy of rational choice. He has held appointments at leading institutions including Yale University, University of Oxford, and University of California, Berkeley. Broome's research bridges analytic philosophy and economics, engaging debates in utilitarianism, interpersonal aggregation, and the ethics of climate change. His writings have influenced scholars across moral philosophy, decision theory, and environmental ethics.
Early life and education
Broome was born in the United Kingdom in 1947 and educated at schools that prepared students for study at leading universities. He read for his undergraduate and graduate degrees at University of Oxford, studying under philosophers and economists active in mid-20th century British analytic traditions. During his time at Oxford he encountered figures associated with utilitarianism debates and analytic moral theory, situating him within a network that included scholars linked to Balliol College, Oxford and departments that later collaborated with London School of Economics. Broome's early exposure to debates in welfare assessment and intertemporal choice shaped his doctoral and postdoctoral trajectories.
Career and contributions
Broome's academic career spans appointments and visiting posts at institutions such as Yale University, Oxford, and UC Berkeley. At Yale he contributed to interdisciplinary initiatives connecting philosophy and economics; at Oxford he engaged with centers focused on ethics and public policy, and at Berkeley he collaborated with scholars in environmental studies. His work on welfare aggregation addresses problems discussed by proponents of utilitarianism and critics like proponents of deontology and Rawlsian perspectives associated with John Rawls. Broome developed formal frameworks for evaluating social welfare functions, drawing on methods associated with expected utility theory and linking to literature by Kenneth Arrow and Amartya Sen. He has argued about the normative significance of population ethics in ways that intersect debates by Derek Parfit and Peter Singer.
In applied philosophy, Broome has been prominent in the ethics of climate policy, engaging with institutions and scholars active in debates at UNFCCC-related fora and contributing to discussions that involve IPCC authors and environmental economists like William Nordhaus and Nicholas Stern. His analyses of cost–benefit reasoning and discounting have influenced work by economists and policymakers who use frameworks derived from welfare economics and social choice theory. Broome's cross-disciplinary influence is evident in collaborations with researchers in public policy and environmental science linked to universities such as Harvard University and Princeton University.
Publications and philosophical work
Broome's major books and articles combine formal modeling with normative argumentation. He authored influential monographs addressing welfare measurement, well-being, and value, engaging with texts by G. E. Moore and critics in analytic ethics. His writings respond to debates in population ethics and the "repugnant conclusion" literature as discussed by Derek Parfit. In his papers he employs tools familiar to scholars of expected utility and intertemporal choice, dialoguing with work by John Rawls, Amartya Sen, Kenneth Arrow, and Thomas Scanlon. Broome has published in leading journals frequented by philosophers and economists associated with Philosophical Review, Journal of Political Economy, and interdisciplinary outlets that bring together contributors from Stanford University and Columbia University.
His work on the ethics of climate change critiques conventional discounting approaches and examines obligations across generations, connecting to debates involving Nicholas Stern and William Nordhaus. He has also written on reasons, rationality, and instrumental reasoning, interacting with positions advanced by Derek Parfit, T. M. Scanlon, and D. H. Mellor. Broome's style blends conceptual analysis with formal representation, contributing to literatures in moral philosophy, decision theory, and environmental ethics.
Teaching and mentorship
During his academic appointments Broome supervised graduate students and postdoctoral researchers who have gone on to positions at institutions such as Oxford, Yale, Harvard University, and Princeton University. He taught courses that bridged the curricula of philosophy and economics, mentoring students interested in utilitarianism, social choice theory, and the ethics of public policy. His seminars often drew participants from interdisciplinary programs connected to environmental studies and public policy schools, fostering collaborations with scholars in political philosophy and econometrics.
Awards and honors
Broome's scholarship has been recognized by appointments and visiting fellowships at centers of research excellence, including fellowships at colleges and institutes associated with University of Oxford and invitations to speak at symposia held by organizations such as the American Philosophical Association and the Royal Society. His work has been cited in policy discussions and by authors of major reports in climate economics and ethics, reflecting impact across philosophy and applied policy communities.
Personal life and legacy
Broome's personal life has been kept largely private; publicly he is known chiefly through his academic contributions and collaborations with scholars across institutions like Yale University, Oxford, UC Berkeley, and international policy bodies. His legacy lies in integrating rigorous normative theory with practical issues in welfare measurement and climate ethics, influencing subsequent generations of philosophers, economists, and policymakers engaged with questions that bring together figures from moral philosophy, environmental ethics, and economic theory.