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| Michael Levin (philosopher) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Michael Levin |
| Birth date | 1943 |
| Occupation | Philosopher |
| Institutions | City College of New York, CUNY, Hunter College |
| Alma mater | University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University |
| Notable works | "The Case for Racism", "An Explanation of Color" |
Michael Levin (philosopher) is an American philosopher known for his work in metaphysics, epistemology, and controversial writings on race and intelligence. He has been a professor at the City College of New York and the Graduate Center, CUNY, and his career has intersected with debates involving figures and institutions such as Charles Murray, Richard Herrnstein, and The New York Times. Levin's scholarship engages topics connected to thinkers like David Lewis, W. V. O. Quine, Thomas Nagel, and Hilary Putnam.
Levin was born in the United States and educated at institutions including the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University, where he studied alongside scholars associated with Princeton University and Harvard University. His doctoral work placed him in intellectual circles with scholars influenced by Bertrand Russell, Ludwig Wittgenstein, G. E. Moore, and Willard Van Orman Quine. During his formative years Levin encountered debates shaped by events such as the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, and controversies involving universities like Columbia University and Yale University.
Levin held faculty positions at institutions including City College of New York, Hunter College, and affiliations with the City University of New York system. He taught courses related to thinkers such as Immanuel Kant, John Locke, David Hume, and Plato, and engaged with graduate programs connected to the Graduate Center, CUNY. Levin participated in conferences alongside philosophers from Oxford University, Cambridge University, and Stanford University, and he contributed to journals with editorial boards featuring scholars from Princeton University Press and Oxford University Press.
Levin's philosophical work addresses issues in metaphysics and philosophy of mind with reference to theorists like Gilbert Ryle, Jerry Fodor, Daniel Dennett, and Saul Kripke. He has written on color and perception in dialogue with positions advanced by Nelson Goodman and John Searle. In ethics and political philosophy Levin's controversial essays intersect with public intellectuals such as Charles Murray, Francis Fukuyama, and Christopher Hitchens. His views have prompted responses invoking scholars like Martha Nussbaum, Cornel West, Judith Butler, and Alasdair MacIntyre.
Levin attracted significant public attention for essays and pamphlets that critics compared to work by Richard Herrnstein and commentators from outlets such as The New Republic and The Wall Street Journal. His writings provoked responses from academics at Columbia University, Harvard University, and Yale University, and were debated on programs hosted by figures like William F. Buckley Jr. and Barbara Walters. Organizations such as the American Philosophical Association and civil rights groups including the NAACP and ACLU engaged with the controversies surrounding his publications. Responses ranged from defenses invoking free speech advocates like Noam Chomsky to condemnations by scholars aligned with Ibram X. Kendi and Ta-Nehisi Coates.
- "An Explanation of Color" — engages debates influenced by Nelson Goodman and David Hume; published in venues read by scholars from Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. - "The Case for Racism" — pamphlet provoking responses from commentators such as Cornel West and Martha Nussbaum and coverage in The New York Times and The Atlantic. - "Race and Philosophy" — essays dialoguing with work by John Rawls, Robert Nozick, and Michael Sandel. - Articles in journals alongside contributors from Princeton University, Yale University, and Columbia University.
Levin received departmental recognition at City College of New York and attended symposia hosted by institutions including Princeton University and Columbia University. His work has been cited in debates at conferences sponsored by the American Philosophical Association and was the subject of panels at meetings involving scholars from Harvard University and Oxford University.
Category:American philosophers Category:1943 births Category:City College of New York faculty