David Wiggins (born 9 January 1933) is a British analytic philosopher noted for his contributions to metaphysics, philosophy of mind, and moral philosophy. He served as Professor of Philosophy at the University of Reading, where he is now Emeritus Professor, and held visiting positions at several institutions, including the University of Michigan and the University of St Andrews.
Academic Career
- Education: Wiggins earned his BA and MA in Philosophy from the University of Oxford, completing his doctorate under the supervision of Gilbert Ryle.
- Teaching: After completing his doctorate, he taught at the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, and the University of St Andrews before his long‑term appointment at Reading in 1975.
- Professional Honors: He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy (FBA) in 1992 and has served as president of the Aristotelian Society (1990‑1991).
Philosophical Work Wiggins’ work is characterized by a rigorous analytic approach to fundamental philosophical problems.
- Metaphysics and Ontology: His early influential book "Problems of Identity" (1973) examines the nature of identity, persistence, and the criteria for objecthood, arguing for a moderate realism about objects and their properties.
- Philosophy of Mind: In "Sameness and Substance" (1975) and later essays, he explores the relationship between mental states and their intentional content, defending a version of the “conceptual analysis” tradition.
- Moral Philosophy: Wiggins is known for defending a non‑consequentialist, deontological ethical framework grounded in the concept of moral reasons. His "Ethics: An Overview" (1992) and "The Moral Point of View" (1995) articulate a theory of moral objectivity that emphasizes the role of rational agency and moral concepts as constitutive of ethical judgment.
- Conceptual Analysis: Throughout his career, Wiggins has emphasized the importance of analyzing ordinary language and everyday concepts to clarify philosophical disputes, a methodological stance evident in works such as "Truth and Its Nature" (1999).
Selected Publications
- Problems of Identity (Oxford University Press, 1973)
- Sameness and Substance (Oxford University Press, 1975)
- Ethics: An Overview (Oxford University Press, 1992)
- The Moral Point of View (Oxford University Press, 1995)
- Truth and Its Nature (Oxford University Press, 1999)
- Metaphysics (Oxford University Press, 2006)
Influence and Legacy Wiggins’ contributions have shaped contemporary debates in analytic metaphysics and ethics. His insistence on the clarity of philosophical concepts and his defense of a rationalist moral framework continue to be widely discussed in academic literature. He has mentored numerous doctoral students who have become prominent philosophers in their own right.