Harry G. Frankfurt
Harry G. Frankfurt: A Philosopher's Quest for Meaning
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Full Name and Common Aliases
Harry Gordon Frankfurt was a renowned American philosopher, known to his friends and colleagues as Harry Frankfurt.
Birth and Death Dates
Harry Frankfurt was born on April 29, 1929, in Long Island, New York. He passed away on September 16, 2023, at the age of 94.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Frankfurt's nationality was American, and he was a philosopher by profession. His work primarily focused on moral philosophy, ethics, and metaphysics.
Early Life and Background
Harry Frankfurt grew up in a family that valued education and intellectual pursuits. His parents encouraged his love for learning from an early age. Frankfurt developed a keen interest in philosophy during his college years at Harvard University, where he earned his Bachelor's degree in 1951. He later pursued advanced studies at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, earning his Master's degree in 1954 and his D.Phil (Ph.D.) in 1962.
Major Accomplishments
Frankfurt's work had a significant impact on the field of philosophy. His most notable contribution is his theory of bullshit, which he introduced in an influential essay published in 2005. This concept challenged traditional notions of lying and truth-telling, sparking intense debates within philosophical circles. Frankfurt also made substantial contributions to the areas of moral responsibility, free will, and metaphysics.
Notable Works or Actions
Frankfurt's notable works include:
"On Bullshit" (2005), an essay that introduced his concept of bullshit as a distinct category separate from lying.
"The Reasons of Love" (2004), which explores the nature of love and its relationship to rational decision-making.
"On Truth" (2006), a book that delves into the complexities of truth, focusing on its various aspects and implications.Impact and Legacy
Harry Frankfurt's influence extends beyond academia. His work has been widely read and discussed in intellectual circles, making him one of the most quoted philosophers of our time. His ideas have been applied in various fields, including politics, ethics, and cognitive science. Frankfurt's legacy as a philosopher lies not only in his theories but also in his ability to make complex philosophical concepts accessible to a broad audience.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Harry Frankfurt is widely quoted and remembered for several reasons:
His bold and provocative ideas have challenged traditional notions of morality, truth, and lying.
His work has been influential in shaping contemporary debates on ethics, free will, and the nature of reality.
His ability to communicate complex philosophical concepts in an engaging and accessible manner has made him a beloved figure among philosophers and non-philosophers alike.
As we reflect on Harry Frankfurt's life and contributions, it becomes clear that his impact extends far beyond the confines of academia. He has left an indelible mark on our understanding of morality, truth, and human behavior, making him one of the most significant philosophers of our time.
Quotes by Harry G. Frankfurt
Morality, as I understand it, has to do particularly with how we ought to conduct ourselves in our relations with others.
There are significant relationships, of course, between wanting things and caring about them... The notion of caring is in large part constructed out of the notion of desire. Caring about something may be, in the end, nothing more than a certain complex mode of wanting it. However, simply attributing desire to a person does not in itself convey that the person cares about the object he desires.
To establish and to sustain an advanced culture, we need to avoid being debilitated either by error or by ignorance. We need to know – and, of course, we must also understand how to make productive use of – a great many truths.
So far as freedom is concerned, it is of course true that freedom is commonly understood to be a necessary condition of moral responsibility.
The point is rather that, so far as Wittgenstein can see, Pascal offers a description of a certain state of affairs without genuinely submitting to the constraints which the endeavor to provide an accurate representation of reality imposes. Her fault is not that she fails to get things right, but that she is not even trying.
From the point of view of morality, it is not important that everyone should have the same. What is morally important is that each should have enough.
One of the most salient features of our culture is that there is so much bullshit.
Is truth something that in fact we do—and should—especially care about? Or is the love of truth, as professed by so many distinguished thinkers and writers, itself merely another example of bullshit?
Civilizations... cannot flourish if they are beset with troublesome infections of mistaken beliefs.
Morality can provide at most only a severely limited and insufficient answer to the question of how a person should live.