author
G. E. (George Edward) Moore
1873–1958
A central figure in early analytic philosophy, he was known for clear argument, plain speaking, and a stubborn respect for common sense. His work in ethics and philosophical method helped shape twentieth-century philosophy far beyond Cambridge.
2 Audiobooks
Principia Ethica
by G. E. (George Edward) Moore
Philosophical Studies
by G. E. (George Edward) Moore
About the author
George Edward Moore was an English philosopher born in London on November 4, 1873, and he spent most of his career at Trinity College, Cambridge. He became one of the key figures in the rise of analytic philosophy, working in the same broad intellectual world as Bertrand Russell and, later, Ludwig Wittgenstein.
Moore is especially remembered for his careful, patient style of thinking. In ethics, Principia Ethica became one of his best-known books, and his discussions of the naturalistic fallacy and the idea of intrinsic good were widely influential. He was also famous for defending ordinary, everyday knowledge in essays such as “A Defence of Common Sense” and “Proof of an External World.”
What makes Moore enduringly appealing is the tone of his philosophy: modest, exact, and deeply serious about getting things right. He died on October 24, 1958, but his insistence on clarity and argument still feels modern, which is one reason his work remains a touchstone for readers interested in ethics, knowledge, and the foundations of analytic thought.