| Region: | Western philosophy |
| Era: | Contemporary philosophy |
| David Lyons | |
| Birth Date: | 6 February 1935 |
| Main Interests: | Philosophy of law, moral philosophy, political philosophy |
| Education: | Brooklyn College Harvard University |
| Influences: | John Rawls, John Stuart Mill |
| Influenced: | David O. Brink |
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 after having spent much of his career at Cornell University where he held joint appointment in the College and Arts and Sciences and School of Law.
Lyons earned his Ph.D. in philosophy from Harvard University, where he studied under John Rawls.
Lyons was one of the faculty members in the Susan Linn Sage School of Philosophy within the Cornell University College of Arts and Sciences,[1] joining it in 1964. Later he obtained a joint appointment with Cornell University School of Law.[1] He also had a stint as chair of the Susan Linn Sage School[1] (operationally the chair of the philosophy department). He taught at Cornell until 1995, when he joined the Boston University faculty.[2] His former students include David O. Brink.
Lyons has had a lengthy career as a moral and legal philosopher,[1] including such topics as the nature of rights and how they relate to concepts of the general welfare. 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.[3]
In 2010, Lyons was honored by the Boston University School of Law with a two-day event, "Rights, Equality, and Justice: A Conference Inspired by the Moral and Legal Theory of David Lyons". The resulting papers from the conference were published in the Boston University Law Review.[4]