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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 12/05/2013 12:44, Gordon wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:1368359050.54453.YahooMailNeo@web121206.mail.ne1.yahoo.com"
type="cite">
<div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:times
new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt">
<div><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif"
size="3">Someone online just a moment ago asserted that most
people in that forum could probably not name an any
important living </font><font face="times new roman, new
york, times, serif">philosophers</font><font face="times new
roman, new york, times, serif" size="3">. I know of several
and named them. </font></div>
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size:
16.363636016845703px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new
york', times, serif; background-color: transparent;
font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'times new
roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><br>
</span></div>
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size:
16.363636016845703px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new
york', times, serif; background-color: transparent;
font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'times new
roman', 'new york', times, serif;">I thought it would be
interesting to ask this same question of my friends here on
ExI. Who are the most important living philosophers? And
why?</span></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<br>
Hmm, take my comments with a grain of salt, since I am actually
embedded in the field and know them (bias galore). Plus, to some
extent, this will of course be philosophers I like:<br>
<br>
Derek Parfit - I am not too up to date with his recent moral
philosophy work, but I think he has been seminal for a more relaxed
concept of personal identity. He also made important contributions
to thinking about rationality, existential risk and the value of the
future. <br>
<br>
David Chalmers - I can honestly not say much about his actual
philosophical contributions, but I do think he is crucial
sociologically. He turned consciousness studies into a subject of
interdisciplinary scientific study, and currently is turning
singularity studies into something regarded as worthy of proper
consideration - even the people who think it is bunk now have to try
to respond to his arguments with reason. <br>
<br>
Nick Bostrom - Important because he has been the first widely
recognized philosopher to explain and argue in favour of
transhumanism, because he really showed the moral priority of
existential risk, and because of him partially starting the school
of crucial consideration-focused scientifically informed philosophy
(and not just because he is my boss ;-) <br>
<br>
Peter Singer - Most famous for his animal rights work, but generally
the big consequentialist today. His work on poverty and our moral
obligations is very influential. The efficient altruism community
owes much to him (and to some extent Nick). <br>
<br>
Julian Savulescu - Important because of his position in the core of
the network of pro-enhancement bioethicists. Can't make up my mind
about his moral enhancement work, but as we learn more about the
neurobiology of decision-making and social cognition it is going to
be really important. <br>
<br>
Eliezer Yudkowsky - Yes, I regard him as a proper philosopher
despite lacking any formal academic standing (the famous greek
beards also started out as opionated people who talked with their
followers; they built academies in the end, not at the start). Maybe
most important because he was the first to dig into the AI risk
problem, state the friendly AI problem, and show that it was *hard*.
Also, by starting the rationality community he might have set off a
very important social/intellectual movement. <br>
<br>
Some other people who come to mind: David Deutsch (quantum
computing, maybe constructor theory), John Broome, Gregory Chaitin
(he is at least listed on Wikipedia as a 21st century philosopher),
Peter Sloterdijk, Thomas Pogge, Toby Ord, Allen Buchanan...<br>
<br>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Anders Sandberg,
Future of Humanity Institute
Oxford Martin School
Faculty of Philosophy
Oxford University </pre>
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