**Education and Career**
– Graduated from Thiel College in 1960
– Received M.A. in 1962 and PhD in 1966 from the University of Virginia
– Taught philosophy at North Carolina State University from 1967 to 2001
– Directed the 1986 film ‘We Are All Noah’
**Animal Rights Advocacy**
– Regan argued for moral rights of non-human animals
– Philosophy aligned with Immanuel Kant’s tradition
– Advocated for inherent value and respect for all individuals
– Principles like the miniride principle and the worse-off principle were employed
– Called for abolishing animal breeding for food, animal experimentation, and commercial hunting
**G. E. Moore Scholarship**
– Published three books on G. E. Moore’s philosophy in the 1980s
– Utilized unpublished material from the Moore Archive at the University of Cambridge
– Contributions shed light on Moore’s early metaphysical and ethical views
– Notable work includes ‘Bloomsbury’s Prophet: G. E. Moore and the Development of His Moral Philosophy’
**Legacy and Impact**
– Prominent figure in the animal rights movement
– ‘The Case for Animal Rights’ significantly influenced modern advocacy
– Emphasized inherent value of all individuals and ethical treatment of animals
– Remembered as a stalwart vegan and activist by organizations like The Vegan Society
**Contributions to Academia**
– Authored numerous books on animal rights philosophy
– Co-founded the Culture and Animals Foundation
– Stressed the importance of valuing non-human animals and consistency in ethical considerations
– Developed principles like the miniride principle to address ethical dilemmas
Tom Regan (/ˈreɪɡən/; November 28, 1938 – February 17, 2017) was an American philosopher who specialized in animal rights theory. He was professor emeritus of philosophy at North Carolina State University, where he had taught from 1967 until his retirement in 2001.
Tom Regan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | November 28, 1938 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | February 17, 2017 (aged 78) North Carolina, U.S. |
| Education | Thiel College (BA) University of Virginia (MA, PhD) |
| Notable work | The Case for Animal Rights (1983) |
| Spouse | Nancy Tirk |
| Children | 2 |
| Era | Contemporary philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Analytic philosophy |
| Institutions | North Carolina State University |
Main interests | Animal rights theory and advocacy |
Notable ideas | concept of "subject-of-a-life" |
| Website | regan |
Regan was the author of numerous books on the philosophy of animal rights, including The Case for Animal Rights (1983), one of a handful of studies that have significantly influenced the modern animal rights movement. In these, he argued that non-human animals are what he called the "subjects-of-a-life", just as humans are, and that, if we want to ascribe value to all human beings regardless of their ability to be rational agents, then to be consistent, we must similarly ascribe it to non-humans.
From 1985, he served with his wife Nancy as co-founder and co-president of the Culture and Animals Foundation, a nonprofit organization "committed to fostering the growth of intellectual and artistic endeavors united by a positive concern for animals."
The Vegan Society remembers him as "a stalwart vegan and activist."