Allen Edward Buchanan
James B. Duke Professor Emeritus of Philosophy

This semester (Fall 2016) I’m teaching two courses at Duke: Human Rights in Theory and Practice and Social and Political Thought (an introduction to some of the main issues in social and political philosophy).

Russell Powell and I have just completed a solid draft of a book ms., The Evolution of Moral Progress.  It builds on several published or about to be published articles on the topic of moral progress, including “Evolutionary Explanations of Morality and Their Limitations” and “Toward a Naturalistic Theory of Moral Progress” (both of which have appeared in Ethics), “Proper De-Moralization as Emancipation and the Persistence of Invalid Moral Norms” (forthcoming in Social Philosophy & Policy), “The Reflexive Epistemology of Human Rights” (forthcoming in a volume on social epistemology, edited by Miranda Fricker), and “Evolution and Moral Enhancement” (in Enhancing Ourselves, edited by Stephen Clarke and Julian Savulescu).

Powell and I are also working on a book on evolution and ideology, as a sequel to The Evolution of Moral Progress.

As usual, I am spending the Fall in Durham, NC and the winter and spring in Tucson, Arizona, where I will concentrate on research and on my ongoing humanitarian work as a member of Samaritans of Tucson. I go on Samaritan patrols on the border trails at least once a week, backpacking in water, medical supplies, and food to help people struggling through the Sonoran desert. It’s nice to be able to do something about human rights rather than just writing about them.

Current Appointments & Affiliations

Contact Information

  • 203A West Duke Building, Durham, NC 27708
  • Duke Box 90743, Durham, NC 27708-0245

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