Torbjörn Tännsjö
Encyclopedia
Torbjörn Tännsjö is a Swedish
professor of philosophy
. He has held a chair in Practical Philosophy
at Stockholm University
since 2002 and he is Affiliated Professor of Medical Ethics at Karolinska Institute. Tännsjö was Associate Professor of Philosophy at Stockholm University from 1976 to 1993 and Research Fellow in Political Philosophy
at the Swedish Council for Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences between 1993 and 1995. Thereafter, he was a professor of Practical Philosophy at Göteborg University 1995-2001.
Tännsjö is a member of the medical ethics
board of the faculty of medicine at Göteborg University. He is also a member of the medical ethics committee of The National Board of Health and Welfare (the Swedish Government agency responsible for the supervision, evaluation and monitoring of social services, health care and medical services, dental care, environmental health, and control of communicable diseases). Furthermore, he is a member of the editorial board of Monash Bioethics Review, Tidskrift för politisk filosofi, (Journal of Political Philosophy), and Philosophical Papers, the ethics
section of the web psychiatric journal Psychomedia, and Bioethics.
Tännsjö is one of the few Swedish philosophers who is frequently heard in the public debate. His distinctly utilitarian
views have made him a controversial figure among some people, notably the medical establishment and the Swedish Christian Democrats.
Tännsjö has been a member of the Left Party
since 1970, and was involved in writing the first party programme after the party dropped the communist label in 1990.
Tännsjö's most recent work is "Global Democracy: The Case for a World Government" (Edinburgh UP) written in connection with the research project Democracy Unbound supported by the Swedish Research Council. The royalties from the sales of the book are being donated to Oxfam
.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
professor of philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. He has held a chair in Practical Philosophy
Practical philosophy
The division of philosophy into a practical and a theoretical discipline has its origin in Aristotle's moral philosophy and natural philosophy categories. In Sweden and Finland courses in theoretical and practical philosophy are taught separately, and are separate degrees...
at Stockholm University
Stockholm University
Stockholm University is a state university in Stockholm, Sweden. It has over 28,000 students at four faculties, making it one of the largest universities in Scandinavia. The institution is also frequently regarded as one of the top 100 universities in the world...
since 2002 and he is Affiliated Professor of Medical Ethics at Karolinska Institute. Tännsjö was Associate Professor of Philosophy at Stockholm University from 1976 to 1993 and Research Fellow in Political Philosophy
Political philosophy
Political philosophy is the study of such topics as liberty, justice, property, rights, law, and the enforcement of a legal code by authority: what they are, why they are needed, what, if anything, makes a government legitimate, what rights and freedoms it should protect and why, what form it...
at the Swedish Council for Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences between 1993 and 1995. Thereafter, he was a professor of Practical Philosophy at Göteborg University 1995-2001.
Tännsjö is a member of the medical ethics
Medical ethics
Medical ethics is a system of moral principles that apply values and judgments to the practice of medicine. As a scholarly discipline, medical ethics encompasses its practical application in clinical settings as well as work on its history, philosophy, theology, and sociology.-History:Historically,...
board of the faculty of medicine at Göteborg University. He is also a member of the medical ethics committee of The National Board of Health and Welfare (the Swedish Government agency responsible for the supervision, evaluation and monitoring of social services, health care and medical services, dental care, environmental health, and control of communicable diseases). Furthermore, he is a member of the editorial board of Monash Bioethics Review, Tidskrift för politisk filosofi, (Journal of Political Philosophy), and Philosophical Papers, the ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
section of the web psychiatric journal Psychomedia, and Bioethics.
Tännsjö is one of the few Swedish philosophers who is frequently heard in the public debate. His distinctly utilitarian
Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism is an ethical theory holding that the proper course of action is the one that maximizes the overall "happiness", by whatever means necessary. It is thus a form of consequentialism, meaning that the moral worth of an action is determined only by its resulting outcome, and that one can...
views have made him a controversial figure among some people, notably the medical establishment and the Swedish Christian Democrats.
Tännsjö has been a member of the Left Party
Left Party (Sweden)
The Left Party is a socialist and feminist political party in Sweden, from 1967 to 1990 known as the Left Party – The Communists .On welfare issues, the party opposes privatizations...
since 1970, and was involved in writing the first party programme after the party dropped the communist label in 1990.
Tännsjö's most recent work is "Global Democracy: The Case for a World Government" (Edinburgh UP) written in connection with the research project Democracy Unbound supported by the Swedish Research Council. The royalties from the sales of the book are being donated to Oxfam
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
.
Publications
- Moral Realism (Savage, N.J.: Rowman and Littlefield, 1990)
- Conservatism for Our Time (London och New York: Routledge, 1990)
- Populist Democracy. A Defence (London och New York: Routledge, 1993)
- Hedonistic Utilitarianism (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1998)
- Coercive Care: The Ethics of Choice in Health and Medicine (London and New York: Routledge, 1999)
- Values in Sport: Elitism, Nationalism, Gender Equality and the Scientific Manufacture of Winners (London och New York: E&FN Spon/Routledge, 2000)
- Understanding Ethics: An Introduction to Moral Theory (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2002)
- Terminal Sedation: Euthanasia in Disguise (Dordrecht: Kluwer, 2004).
- The Repugnant Conclusion. Essays on Population Ethics (Dordrecht. Kluwer, 2004).
- Genetic Technology and Sport (London and New York: Routledge, 2005)
- Global Democracy: The Case for a World Government (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008)