Aubrey Moore (6 June 1868 – 4 March 1896) was an English philosopher, Anglican priest, and one of the early proponents of evolutionary ethics. He is noted for his attempts to reconcile evolutionary theory with moral philosophy and for contributing to discussions on the philosophy of religion in the late‑19th century.
Early life and education
- Born in Cambridge, England.
- Attended Winchester College.
- Studied at New College, Oxford, where he earned a first‑class degree in classics and later in moral philosophy.
Academic career
- Elected a fellow of New College, Oxford, in 1892.
- Lectured in moral philosophy and was active in the Oxford philosophical community, participating in societies such as the Metaphysical Society.
Philosophical work
- Advocated for an evolutionary basis of ethics, arguing that moral sentiments could be understood as natural phenomena shaped by the process of evolution.
- Sought to develop a naturalistic account of religion, critiquing traditional theistic arguments while maintaining a personal religious commitment as an Anglican priest.
Publications
- The Philosophy of Religion (1900, posthumously published). This work collected his essays on the relationship between science, religion, and ethics, and it remains his most widely cited contribution.
Legacy
- Moore’s ideas influenced later thinkers in the fields of philosophy of religion and evolutionary ethics, including early 20th‑century scholars who further developed naturalistic approaches to morality.
- Though his career was brief—he died at the age of 27 from a pulmonary illness—his attempts to integrate evolutionary theory with moral philosophy are recognized as a notable early effort in the secular study of ethics.
References
- Obituary notices in contemporary academic journals (e.g., The Philosophical Review, 1896).
- Entries in biographical dictionaries of British philosophers.
