Michael Huemer: Difference between revisions

'''Michael Huemer''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|j|uː|m|ər}}; born 27 December 1969) is a professor of [[philosophy]] at the [[University of Colorado, Boulder]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.colorado.edu/philosophy/people/faculty/michael-huemer | title=Michael Huemer | date=24 March 2015 }}</ref> He has defended [[ethical intuitionism]], [[direct realism]], [[libertarianism]], [[substance dualism]], [[reincarnation]], [[mere addition paradox|the repugnant conclusion]],<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Huemer |first1=Michael |title=In Defence of Repugnance |journal=Mind |date=2008 |volume=117 |issue=468 |pages=899–933 |doi=10.1093/mind/fzn079 |jstor=20532700 |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/20532700 |issn=0026-4423}}</ref> and [[philosophical anarchism]].

Huemer is a philosophical [[Mind–body dualism|dualist]].<ref name="Interview">{{Cite web|last=Sosis|first=Cliff|date=2021|title=Michael Huemer Interview |url=https://www.whatisitliketobeaphilosopher.com/michael-huemer|website=What is it like to be a Philosopher?|language=en-GB|archive-date=|archive-url=|url-status=live}}</ref> His book ''[[Ethical Intuitionism (book)|Ethical Intuitionism]]'' (2005) was reviewed in ''Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews'',<ref>{{cite journal |last=McNaughton |first=David |title=Michael Huemer: Ethical Intuitionism |url=http://ndpr.nd.edu/news/25112/?id=7604 |date=10 September 2006 |journal=Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews |issn=1538-1617}}</ref> ''[[Philosophy and Phenomenological Research]]''<ref>{{cite journal |last=Schroeder |first=Mark |title=Review: Huemer's Clarkeanism: Ethical Intuitionism by Michael Huemer |journal=Philosophy and Phenomenological Research |date=2009 |volume=78 |issue=1 |pages=197–204 |doi=10.1111/j.1933-1592.2008.00239.x |jstor=40380419}}</ref> and ''[[Mind (journal)|Mind]].''<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lemos |first1=Noah |title=Review: Michael Huemer: Ethical Intuitionism |journal=Mind |volume=117 |issue=466 |year=2008 |pages=483–486 |issn=0026-4423 |doi=10.1093/mind/fzn063}}</ref>

Huemer is the author of ''[[The Problem of Political Authority]]'' (2013), which argues that the modern arguments for [[political authority]] fail and that society can function properly without state coercion.<ref>{{cite journal |author= Skoble, Aeon J.|title=Reviewed Work: The Problem of Political Authority: An Examination of the Right to Coerce and the Duty to Obey by Michael Huemer|journal=[[The Independent Review]]|volume=19 |issue=1 |year=2014 |pages=144–147|jstor=24563269}}</ref> Huemer is an [[Agnosticism|agnostic]].<ref name="Lemieux">{{Cite web|last=Lemieux|first=Pierre|date=2022|title=A Wide Ranging Libertarian Philosopher, Reasonable and Radical|url=https://www.cato.org/regulation/winter-2021/2022/wide-ranging-libertarian-philosopher-reasonable-radical|website=Cato Institute|language=en-GB|archive-date=February 25, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240225023932/https://www.cato.org/regulation/winter-2021/2022/wide-ranging-libertarian-philosopher-reasonable-radical|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Phenomenal conservatism===

Huemer has defended [[phenomenal conservatism]], the idea that it is reasonable to assume that things are as they appear, except when there are positive grounds for doubting this.

Huemer has argued that immaterial [[soul]]s exist.<ref name="Lemieux"/> He has defended reincarnation in his paper "Existence Is Evidence of Immortality".<ref>{{cite journal|author=Jäger, Jens|year=2021|title=Immortal Beauty: Does Existence Confirm Reincarnation?|journal=Australasian Journal of Philosophy|url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00048402.2021.1938150|volume=100|issue=4|pages=789-807| doi=10.1080/00048402.2021.1938150}}</ref> In 2022, he debated [[Graham Oppy]] on the existence of souls.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2022|title=Do Souls Exist?:Mike Huemer (Yes): Graham Oppy (No): ep. 183|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxSi0htNihk|website=Youtube|language=en-GB|archive-date=April 28, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220428224429/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxSi0htNihk|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Animal ethics===

In 2016, Huemer debated [[Bryan Caplan]] on the ethical treatment of animals, including [[insects]].<ref>[https://archive.today/20170427222657/http://www.learnliberty.org/blog/do-animals-have-rights-professors-bryan-caplan-and-michael-huemer-discuss/ "Do animals have rights? Professors Bryan Caplan and Michael Huemer discuss"]. Learnliberty.org. Retrieved 6 August 2021.</ref>Inregard to killing insects, Huemer has argued that insects are not raised in horrible conditions like animals in factory farms, animal farming requires killing more insects as they are fed vegetable foods and it is "much less likely that insects feel pain".<ref name="Huemer 2019"/> Huemer has commented: "In the overwhelming majority of actual cases, meat eaters do not have any reasons that could plausibly be claimed to justify the pain and suffering caused by their practice."<ref>[https://reason.com/2018/09/26/proposition-libertarians-shoul1/ "Debate: Libertarians Should Be Vegetarians"]. Reason.com. Retrieved 6 August 2021.</ref>

===Ostroveganism===

Huemer is an advocate of ostroveganism, a [[plant-based diet]] with the addition of [[oyster]]s and other bivalves.<ref name="Huemer 2019">Huemer, Michael. (2019). ''Dialogues on Ethical Vegetarianism''. Routledge. pp. 74-75. {{ISBN|978-1-138-32829-7}}</ref><ref name="Milburn 2022">{{cite journal|author=Milburn, Josh; Bobier, Christopher|year=2022|title=New Omnivorism: a Novel Approach to Food and Animal Ethics|journal=Food Ethics|url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41055-022-00098-z|volume=7|issue=|pages=5|doi=10.1007/s41055-022-00098-z}}</ref> Ostroveganism has been described as a type of "new omnivorism".<ref name="Milburn 2022"/>

==Personal life==

Huemer is married to Iskra Fileva.<ref name="Interview"/>

[[Category:American agnostics]]

[[Category:Animal ethicists]]

[[Category:Dualists]]