Lawrence Sklar | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1938-06-25)June 25, 1938 |
| Died | 2024 (aged 85–86) |
| Philosophical work | |
| Era | Contemporary philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Analytic |
| Institutions | University of Michigan |
| Main interests | Philosophy of physics |
Lawrence Sklar (June 25, 1938 – 2024) was an American philosopher. He was theCarl G. Hempel andWilliam K. Frankena Distinguished University Professor Emeritus at theUniversity of Michigan.[1]
Sklar was born inBaltimore,Maryland, in 1938 and educated atOberlin College (B.A., 1954–1958) andPrinceton University (M.A., Ph.D., 1959–1964) where he worked withHilary Putnam.
He worked atSwarthmore College from 1962 to 1966, first as an instructor and then as an assistant professor. He then worked as an assistant professor atPrinceton University until 1968. After 1968, he worked at theUniversity of Michigan, where he was a Distinguished University Professor Emeritus.
He held visiting professorships at theUniversity of Illinois (1963), theUniversity of Pennsylvania (1968),Harvard University (1970),UCLA (1973) andWayne State University (1977).[2]
Sklar specialized in thephilosophy of physics, approaching a wide range of issues from a position best described as highly skeptical of many of themetaphysical conclusions commonly drawn in the physical sciences. He advocated the 'MIMO' (metaphysics in, metaphysics out) principle, claiming that much of the metaphysical content of interpreted theories in the special sciences arises from metaphysical assumptions made during their formulation.
While at Swarthmore, Sklar met and married Swarthmore undergraduate Elizabeth Sherr Sklar, who would later become an English professor at Wayne State University. Their daughter is mathematicianJessica Sklar.[3] Sklar died in 2024.[4]
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