Home / Authors / Allen W. Wood

Allen W. Wood

Allen W. Wood Quotes

Professor

Allen W. Wood, born in 1942, is a renowned professor in the field of philosophy. He has made significant contributions to ethics and political philosophy, with a rich academic career that spans several decades. Wood's research has influenced scholars worldwide, and his works have provided new insights into moral and political theories.

Filter quotes by topic

All Thinking Moral Ifs Humans Way Reason Form Theory Philosophy Rational Capitalism People Action Doe Facts Humanity Philosopher Problem Ends Self

Famous Allen W. Wood Quotes

“It is often difficult to know about one's own era which philosophers in it will be remembered as the most important ones, but I think it is already clear that John Rawls is the greatest moral philosopher of the twentieth century.”

Thinking Knows Important Difficult Moral Clear Century Philosopher Eras Remembered Twentieth Century

Author:Allen W. Wood

“I think if there were to be a solution to the problem of free will, it would have to be a compatibilist one. Unfortunately, from that it does not follow that there is such a solution. Many philosophers find this an unwelcome message, and as often happens in philosophy, they punish the messenger by ascribing to him an entirely imaginary but untenable position.”

Ifs Thinking Doe Philosophy Problem Happens Position Messages Solutions Philosopher Free Will Imaginary Messengers Unwelcome

Author:Allen W. Wood

“Sometimes when a philosopher's views are widely rejected by the world, the fault is not with the philosopher but with the world.”

World Sometimes Views Faults Philosopher Rejected

Author:Allen W. Wood

“I think that both Mill and Sidgwick are great and admirable philosophers, from whom we still have a lot to learn. I would not favor a form of Kantianism (if there is such a form) that treats Mill's or Sidgwick's moral philosophy with disrespect.”

Ifs Thinking Stills Philosophy Form Moral Treats Philosopher Favors Admirable Disrespect Mills Moral Philosophy

Author:Allen W. Wood

“It is rational to choose the right means to your ends to develop very elegant abstract formal theories of rational choice, and then turn these into what look like moral theories. Philosophers tend to be ravished by the formal beauty of such theories, and they don't pay much attention to the fact that our human limitations make them pretty useless in practice, while the simple point about instrumental reasoning is too shallow to be of much real moral interest.”

Humans Looks Mean Real Ends Facts Turns Choices Interest Simple Pay Attention Moral Practice Theory Philosopher Rational Limitation Useless Abstract Reasoning Formal Shallow Elegant

Author:Allen W. Wood

“Kant can provide, and has provided, a good model for philosophers to think about the relation of metaphysics to science and scientific methodology.”

Thinking Models Relation Philosopher Metaphysics Methodology

Author:Allen W. Wood

“What Smith and Marx have in common is that they were both philosophers of great vision and perceptiveness, deep humanity, and a sense of social reality that has been lost in the abstractly formalistic economic theories that have dominated the field since the last third of the nineteenth century.”

Has Beens Reality Lasts Humanity Lost Social Common Vision Economic Century Fields Theory Thirds Philosopher Nineteenth Century Great Vision Economic Theory

Author:Allen W. Wood

“In my acquaintance with John Rawls, I found him to be a simple and honest man, who just by chance also happened to be the greatest moral philosopher of the twentieth century. I would like to think that I could emulate at least his modesty - his refusal to exaggerate his perception of himself and his place in the larger scheme of things - even if my work never compares with his in its importance.”

Ifs Thinking Men Found Chance Simple Moral Happened Century Honest Perception Importance Philosopher Compare Modesty Schemes Acquaintance Twentieth Century Refusal Honest Man Emulate

Author:Allen W. Wood

“As Kant says, the contribution of any common laborer would be greater than that of the greatest philosopher unless the philosopher makes some contribution to establishing the rights of humanity.”

Would Be Humanity Common Greater Rights Philosopher Contribution Laborers

Author:Allen W. Wood

“When Marx, in the Theses on Feuerbach, says that only idealism up to now has understood the active side of material Praxis, what he says is more true of Fichte than of any other philosopher in the classical German tradition.”

Sides Materials Understood Tradition Philosopher Active Idealism Thesis Praxis

Author:Allen W. Wood

“I could identify for virtually every important figure in the history of modern continental philosophy an idea (or more than one) absolutely central to that philosopher's thought, whose original author was Fichte.”

Important Ideas Philosophy Modern Figures Originals Philosopher Continental

Author:Allen W. Wood

About the Author

Born: 1942
Known for: Professor
Quotes: 150

Related Topics

Thinking Moral Ifs Humans Way Reason Form Theory Philosophy Rational Capitalism People Action Doe Facts Humanity Philosopher Problem Ends Self

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

KantRelated source material

Hegel's Ethical ThoughtRelated source material

The Free Development of Each: Studies on Freedom, Right and Ethics in Classical German PhilosophyRelated source material

Similar Authors

Nomy ArpalyBrowse related quotes
Ludwig WittgensteinBrowse related quotes
Immanuel KantBrowse related quotes
David HumeBrowse related quotes
Thomas NagelBrowse related quotes
Ayn RandBrowse related quotes
Bertrand RussellBrowse related quotes
Dale JamiesonBrowse related quotes
Kenny SmithBrowse related quotes
Torbjorn TannsjoBrowse related quotes