G. A. Cohen, 1941-2009

GA Cohen G. A. Cohen, perhaps best known for Karl Marx's Theory of History: A Defense and If You're An Egalitarian, How Come Your'e So Rich?, died yesterday. I remember being annoyed by KMTH when I first read, but the book kept on entering into my thinking, eventually shaping many of the mental habits. He was certainly on of the clearer political thinkers of the era, whether you agreed with him or not. The blog Political Theory — Habermas and Rawls has links to podcasts from the January 2009 conference “Rescuing Justice and Equality: Celebrating the Career of G.A. Cohen.” Also over at Philosophy Bites, an interview with Cohen on The Inequality of Wealth:

Can an egalitarian be rich without being guilty of hypocrisy? How should we think about wealth and inequality? G.A.Cohen, author of a book with the provocative title If You're An Egalitarian, How Come Your'e So Rich? addresses these questions in this episode of Philosophy Bites.

Listen to G.A.Cohen on Inequality of Wealth