James D. Wallace

James Donald Wallace (May 21, 1937 – July 7, 2019) was an American philosopher. He was a professor of philosophy at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for 49 years.^[1][2]

Biography

Wallace was born in Troy, New York, on May 21, 1937.^[1]

He wrote several books on morality and ethics that draw on the American philosophical tradition of pragmatism, in particular the ethical theory of John Dewey.^[3] His works include Norms and Practices (2008),^[4] Ethical Norms, Particular Cases (1996),^[5] Moral Relevance and Moral Conflict (1988),^[6] Virtues and Vices (1978),^[7] and numerous articles.^[8]

Wallace taught a variety of subjects, including value theory, practical reasoning, social and political philosophy, bioethics, ancient Greek philosophy, and philosophy of art.^[2]

Wallace was the father of the novelist David Foster Wallace. He was an atheist.^[9]

Wallace died on July 7, 2019, in Tempe, Arizona, where he had lived since 2012.^[1]

Education

Wallace graduated with a BA from Amherst College in 1959 and a PhD from Cornell University in 1963.^[1][10]

See also

• List of American philosophers
• Pragmatic ethics