Tibor Machan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tibor Machan
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| Born |
Tibor Richard Machan
18 March 1939 |
| Died | 24 March 2016 (aged 77) New York, New York, U.S.
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| Nationality | Hungarian American |
| Education | Claremont McKenna College (BA) New York University (MA) UC Santa Barbara (PhD) |
| Era | Contemporary philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Objectivism, analytic philosophy, individualism, ethical egoism, virtue ethics, aretaic turn, eudaimonism |
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Main interests
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Political philosophy, individual rights, egoism, meta-ethics |
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Notable ideas
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Argument from species normality, egoism and rights, egoism and generosity |
Tibor Richard Machan (born March 18, 1939 – died March 24, 2016) was a Hungarian-American philosopher. He was a retired professor of philosophy at Auburn University. Machan also held a special position in business ethics at Chapman University in Orange, California.
He was a researcher at several important organizations, like the Hoover Institution and the Independent Institute. Machan wrote over one hundred scholarly papers and more than forty books. One of his books is Why is Everyone Else Wrong? (2008). He was also a columnist and editor for different publications.
Machan believed that libertarianism is about political freedom for all people. This means everyone should be free to do what they want, as long as it is peaceful and does not harm others. He was a minarchist, meaning he thought the government should be very small. A small government would only protect people's rights and keep peace, without getting involved in many other areas of life.
A Philosopher's Journey
Tibor Machan was born in Budapest, Hungary. When he was 14, his father arranged for him to be smuggled out of Hungary. He arrived in the United States three years later, in 1956.
Machan studied philosophy at several universities. He earned his first degree from Claremont McKenna College in 1965. He then got his Master of Arts degree from New York University and his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
In 1970, Machan and two friends bought Reason magazine. This magazine became a very important publication for libertarian ideas in America. Machan was the editor of Reason for two years. He also edited Reason Papers, a journal about different ideas, for 25 years.
He taught at universities in California, New York, Switzerland, and Alabama. He also gave talks in many countries around the world. These talks were about business ethics and political philosophy.
Machan wrote a book about his own life called The Man Without a Hobby: Adventures of a Gregarious Egoist. He passed away in 2016 at the age of 77.
Machan's Main Ideas
Machan's work mostly focused on ethics (what is right and wrong) and political philosophy (how society should be governed). He was especially interested in the idea of natural rights. Natural rights are rights that people are believed to have simply because they are human, like the right to life, liberty, and property. He wrote books like Individuals and Their Rights and Libertarianism Defended.
He supported the ideas of Ayn Rand, another philosopher, especially her view on ethical egoism. This idea suggests that people should act in their own self-interest. Machan also wrote a lot about business ethics. He believed that honest business practices are important and are part of being a good person. He argued that owning private property is a key part of business.
Machan also studied how humans gain knowledge. He believed that knowledge is not something fixed and perfect. Instead, he thought that our understanding of things can grow and change over time. He also explored the idea of free will. He argued that humans have the ability to make their own choices and are not just controlled by outside forces.
He wrote against the idea of animal rights in his paper "Do Animals Have Rights?" and in his book Putting Humans First: Why We Are Nature's Favorite. However, he also wrote about how humans should treat animals kindly. Machan was also doubtful about whether governments could truly help with global warming. He questioned how much humans contribute to climate change.
Personal Life
Tibor Machan lived in Silverado Canyon, California. He had three children and four grandchildren.
See also
In Spanish: Tibor R. Machan para niños
- Objectivism and libertarianism
- Libertarianism in the United States
- List of American philosophers
