William Frankena
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (June 2020) |
William Frankena | |
---|---|
20th-century philosophy | |
Region | Western philosophy |
School | Analytic philosophy |
Institutions | University of Michigan |
Main interests | Ethics |
Notable ideas | Definist fallacy Naturalistic fallacy |
William Klaas Frankena (June 21, 1908 – October 22, 1994) was an
Life
Frankena's father and mother immigrated to the U.S. as teenagers, in 1892 and 1896 respectively, from
In 1930, Frankena received a B.A. with majors in English and philosophy from
Frankena met his future wife, Sadie, when they were students at Calvin College. In 1928–29, Sadie was president of Calvin's forensic (oration and debate) club and editor-in-chief of Calvin's literary review, Chimes; Frankena was business manager of the club and associate editor of the review. (Prism, Calvin College, 1929) He and Sadie were married for 44 years, until Sadie's death in 1978. He was an avid birder, and is survived by two sons, four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Many Michigan undergraduates were introduced to philosophy in the popular, historically based course taught by Frankena and his close friend Paul Henle. For nearly his entire career, Frankena did most of his philosophical reading and writing at home at a desk made circa 1870. When he wrote a philosophical paper, he prepared a detailed outline, including very abbreviated versions of all points and cites, before writing the paper longhand using a mechanical pencil. He never used a typewriter or computer. Frankena greatly valued his many conversations with other moral philosophers throughout the U.S. and western Europe. William K. Frankena's philosophical papers are in the collection of the Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan. His philosophy books are in the collection of the Tanner Philosophy Library in Angell Hall at the University of Michigan.
Professional service and recognition
While he was chair of the Michigan Philosophy Department, Frankena devoted a considerable portion of his time to service to the university and the philosophy profession, and became known for his role in defending academic freedom during the McCarthy era.[1][2]
After that period, he had more time to publish books and articles. During his career Frankena was chair of the Board of Officers of the
Legacy
A memorial essay by a member of the Michigan Philosophy Department states that "William Frankena contributed as widely to
The university has created a chair for the "
Selected bibliography
- Ethics, 1963, 1973 (2nd ed.). In 1976, Frankena wrote that, in this book, "I finally worked out, in an elementary version, the outlines of an ethical theory, both normative and metaethical. It is still the fullest and only systematic statement there is of my moral philosophy as a whole." (K.E. Goodpaster, ed., 1976, Chapter 17.)
- Philosophy of Education, 1965.
- Three Historical Philosophies of Education: Aristotle, Kant, Dewey, 1965.
- Introductory Readings in Ethics, W.K. Frankena and J.T. Granrose, eds., 1974.
- Perspectives on Morality: Essays by William K. Frankena, K.E. Goodpaster, ed., 1976. Chapter 17, written by Frankena for this volume, is a chronological review of his thinking and writings on moral philosophy up to the mid-1970s. The volume contains a bibliography of his work through 1975.
- Three Questions about Morality, 1974 Carus Lectures, 1980.
- Thinking about Morality, 1980, is an expansion of the University of Michigan Distinguished Senior Faculty Lecture Series delivered by Frankena.
See also
- American philosophy
- Analytic philosophy
- Ethics
- List of American philosophers
- List of ethicists
- List of philosophers (D–H)
- List of University of Michigan faculty and staff
References
- ^ JSTOR 2382301
- ^ The Michigan Daily, February 26, 1998, regarding the firing of University of Michigan professors for refusing to testify before a subcommittee of the House Committee on Un-American Activities based on their rights under the U.S. Constitution. The article states that University President Harlan H. "Hatcher brought three University professors in front of the House Subcommittee on un-American Activities. After the hearings, Hatcher issued a statement that called for the immediate suspension of the three instructors 'without loss of pay from all duties and connections to the University.' Two of the professors later were fired. Several members of the University community felt Hatcher's handling of the situation was weak." See also Faculty Governance Update: Annual Lecture on Academic and Intellectual Freedom, Regents, University of Michigan, July 2007.
- ^ "The Philosophy of William K. Frankena," The Monist, July 1981.
Further reading
- The Philosophy of Value, 1957, by DeWitt H. Parker, completed with considerable effort by Frankena after Parker's death in 1949, with a preface by Frankena.
- A. Goldman and J. Kim, eds., Values and Morals: Essays in Honor of William Frankena, Charles Stevenson, and Richard Brandt, 1978, includes a biography and a bibliography of work by Frankena through 1977.
- Michigan Philosophy News, Department of Philosophy, University of Michigan, Fall 1995, is largely devoted to William K. Frankena.
- Darwall, Stephen, and Louis E. Loeb. "William Klaas Frankena 1908–1994". Proceedings and Addresses of the American Philosophical Association 68, no. 5 (1995): 95–96. JSTOR 3130799
External links
- Dr William Klaas "Bill" Frankena (1908–1994) – Find A Grave Memorial
- William K. Frankena Papers, Bentley Historical Library, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
- J.J. Kole, Frankena: "The Moral Point of View Theory", Moral Autonomy and Christian Faith: A Discussion with William K. Frankena, 2002, pp. 21–40, from Kole's personal site, includes biographical sketch.
- J.J. Kole, "Bibliographies" (for William K. Frankena), Moral Autonomy and Christian Faith: A Discussion with William K. Frankena, 2002, from Kole's personal site.
- Obituary, University of Michigan.