Rogers Albritton
Encyclopedia
Rogers Garland Albritton (August 15, 1923 – May 21, 2002) was a chair of the Harvard and UCLA philosophy departments, and considered by his peers to be one of the finest philosophical minds of the 20th century. Albritton's influence was achieved despite having published very little, a fact about him that inspired the entry "allbutwritten" in Daniel Dennett
's philosophical Lexicon. Albritton's specialties included ancient philosophy, philosophy of mind, free will, skepticism, metaphysics and the work of Ludwig Wittgenstein
.
. He was admitted to Swarthmore at the age of 15, but left to serve in the Army Air Corps
in World War II
. He received his B.A. from St. John's College Annapolis
in 1948.
He taught for a year at St. John's, and began teaching full time at Cornell after completing 3 years of graduate work at Princeton University
. He received his Ph.D. from Princeton in 1955, taught at Cornell for one more year, before being appointed to Harvard in 1956. He made tenure at Harvard in 1960, and served as chair from 1963 to 1970. In 1968, he was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
. In 1972, he moved to UCLA where he served as chair from 1979 to 1981. In 1984 he was president of the Western (then Pacific) Division of the American Philosophical Association
.
He died in 2002 of chronic emphysema
.
This was unusual, because free will
had been identified with freedom of action by compatibilists since Thomas Hobbes
and David Hume
.
"Where there's a will, there just isn't always a way," as he put it.
Daniel Dennett
Daniel Clement Dennett is an American philosopher, writer and cognitive scientist whose research centers on the philosophy of mind, philosophy of science and philosophy of biology, particularly as those fields relate to evolutionary biology and cognitive science. He is currently the Co-director of...
's philosophical Lexicon. Albritton's specialties included ancient philosophy, philosophy of mind, free will, skepticism, metaphysics and the work of Ludwig Wittgenstein
Ludwig Wittgenstein
Ludwig Josef Johann Wittgenstein was an Austrian philosopher who worked primarily in logic, the philosophy of mathematics, the philosophy of mind, and the philosophy of language. He was professor in philosophy at the University of Cambridge from 1939 until 1947...
.
Biography
Albritton was born in Columbus, OhioColumbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. He was admitted to Swarthmore at the age of 15, but left to serve in the Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He received his B.A. from St. John's College Annapolis
St. John's College, U.S.
St. John's College is a liberal arts college with two U.S. campuses: one in Annapolis, Maryland and one in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Founded in 1696 as a preparatory school, King William's School, the school received a collegiate charter in 1784, making it one of the oldest institutions of higher...
in 1948.
He taught for a year at St. John's, and began teaching full time at Cornell after completing 3 years of graduate work at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
. He received his Ph.D. from Princeton in 1955, taught at Cornell for one more year, before being appointed to Harvard in 1956. He made tenure at Harvard in 1960, and served as chair from 1963 to 1970. In 1968, he was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
. In 1972, he moved to UCLA where he served as chair from 1979 to 1981. In 1984 he was president of the Western (then Pacific) Division of the American Philosophical Association
American Philosophical Association
The American Philosophical Association is the main professional organization for philosophers in the United States. Founded in 1900, its mission is to promote the exchange of ideas among philosophers, to encourage creative and scholarly activity in philosophy, to facilitate the professional work...
.
He died in 2002 of chronic emphysema
Emphysema
Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary...
.
Freedom of Will versus Freedom of Action
Albritton's 1985 presidential address to the APA, "Freedom of Will and Freedom of Action," distinguished freedom of action (the freedom to do what we will) from freedom of the will itself.This was unusual, because free will
Free will
"To make my own decisions whether I am successful or not due to uncontrollable forces" -Troy MorrisonA pragmatic definition of free willFree will is the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints. The existence of free will and its exact nature and definition have long...
had been identified with freedom of action by compatibilists since Thomas Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury , in some older texts Thomas Hobbs of Malmsbury, was an English philosopher, best known today for his work on political philosophy...
and David Hume
David Hume
David Hume was a Scottish philosopher, historian, economist, and essayist, known especially for his philosophical empiricism and skepticism. He was one of the most important figures in the history of Western philosophy and the Scottish Enlightenment...
.
"Where there's a will, there just isn't always a way," as he put it.