Lipton, Peter 1954-2007

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Lipton, Peter 1954-2007

OBITUARY NOTICE—

See index for CA sketch: Born October 9, 1954, in New York, NY; died November 25, 2007. Philosopher of science, educator, administrator, and author. As a student and educator, Lipton moved between the United States and England, finally settling at Cambridge University in 1991 where he spent the rest of his life teaching at Jesus College, Trinity College, Pembroke College, and Wolfson College. He was described as a charismatic lecturer, attracting students who were not even enrolled in his classes, and as an even more gifted department head. Lipton was dedicated to the idea that philosophy should be accessible to all, regardless of origin or income, and should be relevant to daily life. To that end, he was actively involved with issues related to ethics in science, genetics, and medicine. He was also interested in the connections between philosophy and religion, even to the extent of delivering sermons at his local synagogue, despite his claim of being a "religious atheist." He reached out to the widest possible audience as a frequent contributor to the Internet Web site AskPhilosophers.org. Lipton's writing portfolio was small but respectable. His book Inference to the Best Explanation (1991) was regarded by some as a classic in its field. He also edited Theory, Evidence, and Explanation (1995).

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Times (London, England), January 4, 2008, p. 68.