David Lyons (born February 6, 1935) is an American moral, political and legal philosopher who is emeritus professor of philosophy and of law at Boston University.
Education and career
Lyons earned his Ph.D. in philosophy from Harvard University where he studied under John Rawls. He taught at Cornell University from 1964 until 1995, when he joined the BU faculty. His former students include David O. Brink.
Philosophical Work
He is particularly well known for his interpretation of the philosophy of John Stuart Mill, arguing that Mill's utilitarianism is compatible with recognizing the importance of rights.
Books
Moral Aspects of Legal Theory : Essays on Law, Justice and Political Responsibility. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 1999. ISBN Translated into Spanish as Aspectos morales de la teoria juridica : ensayos sobre la ley, la justicia y la responsabilidad política Mill's Utilitarianism : Critical Essays (editor) Lanham (Md.) : Rowman & Littlefield, 1997. Rights, Welfare, and Mill's Moral Theory. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994. Ethics and the Rule of Law. Cambridge [Cambridgeshire]: Cambridge University Press, 1984. Held in over 1000 worldCat libraries. Translated into Polish as Etyka i rządy prawa Rights. (editor) The Wadsworth series in social philosophy. Belmont, Calif: Wadsworth Pub. Co, 1979. Translated into Spanish as Ética y derecho In the Interest of the Governed; A Study in Bentham's philosophy of utility and law. Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1973. Forms and Limits of Utilitarianism. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1965.