{{Short description|American philosopher (born 1968)}} {{Infobox academic | name = Thaddeus Metz | caption = American philosopher, academic, and author | birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1968}} | occupation = Philosopher | alma_mater = Cornell University | discipline = Philosophy | sub_discipline = The meaning of life; ethics; political philosophy; philosophy of law; African philosophy; non-Western philosophy | workplaces = University of Pretoria }}
'''Thaddeus Metz''' (born 1968) is an American philosopher, academic and author who has lectured at mainly South African universities. He currently teaches at the University of Pretoria.
== Education and career == Metz earned a PhD from the Sage School of Philosophy at Cornell University in 1997.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Thaddeus Metz |url=https://philpeople.org/profiles/thaddeus-metz |access-date=September 5, 2024}}</ref> In 2015, Metz was appointed to the position of Distinguished Professor at the University of Johannesburg, a position he held until 2019. This was followed by a position as Research Professor of Philosophy at the University of Pretoria<ref>{{Cite web |title=Prof. Thaddeus Metz {{!}} University of Pretoria |url=https://www.up.ac.za/philosophy/prof-thaddeus-metz |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=www.up.ac.za}}</ref> in 2020.
Metz has supervised doctoral students from many different countries,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Prof. Thaddeus Metz {{!}} University of Pretoria |url=https://www.up.ac.za/philosophy/prof-thaddeus-metz |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=www.up.ac.za}}</ref> including Mpho Tshivhase, the first African woman from South Africa to get a PhD in philosophy,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reporter |first=Sun |title=MZANSI'S FIRST BLACK WOMAN DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY! |url=https://www.snl24.com/dailysun/News/National/mzansis-first-black-woman-doctor-of-philosophy-20180425#google_vignette |access-date=2024-09-05 |website=Daily Sun |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=original |first="amongst other remarks from the examiners were that Dr Tshivhase's Doctorate is 'consistently |last2=interesting |last3=insightful' |last4=Brilliant'." |first4='Absolutely |title=Meet the first African woman from South Africa to earn a PhD in Philosophy |url=https://news.uj.ac.za/news/meet-the-first-african-woman-from-south-africa-to-earn-a-phd-in-philosophy-2/ |access-date=2024-09-05 |website=University of Johannesburg News |language=en-US}}</ref> and Doreen Sesiro, the first African woman from Botswana to do so.<ref>{{Cite web |title=#UPGraduation2023: UP student becomes the first African woman from Botswana to get a PhD in philosophy {{!}} University of Pretoria |url=https://www.up.ac.za/news/post_3181900-upgraduation2023-up-student-becomes-the-first-african-woman-from-botswana-to-get-a-phd-in-philosophy |access-date=2024-09-05 |website=www.up.ac.za |language=en}}</ref>
== Philosophical work == Much of his work 'takes an analytic approach to African morality, the meaning of life, the nature of mental health, the point of a university, the role of a legal system, and a range of other topics in value theory and moral-political philosophy'.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2020/21 Human Sciences Research Council - Universities South Africa |url=https://hsrc.ac.za/uploads/pageContent/1045389/FINAL%20Booklet%2017%20March%202021.pdf}}</ref> In particular, he (alongside Susan R. Wolf) is often credited for having helped develop life's meaning as a distinct field in Anglo-American philosophy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Thaddeus Metz |url=https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/philosophy/events/meaning-in-life-and-the-knowledge-of-death/thaddeus-metz/ |access-date=September 5, 2024}}</ref> In recognition of having brought African philosophical ideas to global audiences of scholars, Metz was once designated one of ‘The World’s Top 50 Thinkers’ by ''Prospect Magazine''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The world’s top 50 thinkers 2020 |url=https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/world/40362/the-worlds-top-50-thinkers-2020 |website=Prospect}}</ref>
== Bibliography == === Books ===
* ''What Makes Life Meaningful? A Debate'', with Joshua Seachris (London: Routledge, 2024). ISBN 9781032566153 * ''A Relational Moral Theory: African Ethics in and Beyond the Continent'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022). ISBN 9780198748960 * ''God,Soul and the Meaning of Life'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019). ISBN 9781108661652 * ''Meaning in Life: An Analytic Study'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013). ISBN 9780191747632
=== Articles ===
* Metz, Thaddeus (2012). An African Theory of Moral Status: A Relational Alternative to Individualism and Holism. ''Ethical Theory and Moral Practice'' 15 (3): 387-402.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Metz |first=Thaddeus |date=2012-06-01 |title=An African Theory of Moral Status: A Relational Alternative to Individualism and Holism |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10677-011-9302-y |journal=Ethical Theory and Moral Practice |language=en |volume=15 |issue=3 |pages=387–402 |doi=10.1007/s10677-011-9302-y |issn=1572-8447|url-access=subscription }}</ref> * Metz, Thaddeus (2011). The Good, the True and the Beautiful: Toward a Unified Account of Great Meaning in Life. ''Religious Studies: An International Journal for the Philosophy of Religion'' 47 (4): 389-409.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Metz |first=Thaddeus |date= |title=The good, the true, and the beautiful: toward a unified account of great meaning in life |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/religious-studies/article/abs/good-the-true-and-the-beautiful-toward-a-unified-account-of-great-meaning-in-life/4C44AC941066FF8F9BD75F52BD2A3D7A |journal=Religious Studies |language=en |volume=47 |issue=4 |pages=389–409 |doi=10.1017/S0034412510000569 |issn=1469-901X|url-access=subscription }}</ref> * Metz, Thaddeus (2011). Ubuntu as a Moral Theory and Human Rights in South Africa. ''African Human Rights Law Journal'' 11 (2):532-559''.'' <ref>{{Cite web| title=Ubuntu as a moral theory and human rights in South Africa | url=https://scielo.org.za/pdf/ahrlj/v11n2/11.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910035815/http://www.scielo.org.za:80/pdf/ahrlj/v11n2/11.pdf | archive-date=2016-09-10}}</ref> * Metz, Thaddeus and Gaie, Joseph (2010). The African Ethic of Ubuntu/Botho: Implications for Research on Morality. ''Journal of Moral Education'' 39 (3): 273-290.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Metz, T & Gaie, J |first= |date=2010 |title=The African ethic of Ubuntu/Botho: implications for research on morality |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03057240.2010.497609 |journal=Journal of Moral Education |volume=39 |issue=3 |pages=273–290}}</ref> * Metz, Thaddeus (2007). Toward an African Moral Theory. ''Journal of Political Philosophy'' 15 (3):321-341.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Metz |first=Thaddeus |date=2007 |title=Toward an African Moral Theory |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-9760.2007.00280.x |journal=Journal of Political Philosophy |language=en |volume=15 |issue=3 |pages=321–341 |doi=10.1111/j.1467-9760.2007.00280.x |issn=1467-9760|url-access=subscription }}</ref> * Metz, Thaddeus (2002). Recent Work on the Meaning of Life. ''Ethics'' 112 (4):781-814.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Metz |first=Thaddeus |date= |title=Recent Work on the Meaning of Life |url=https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/340462 |journal=Ethics |volume=112 |issue=4 |pages=781–814 |doi=10.1086/340462 |issn=0014-1704|url-access=subscription }}</ref> * Metz, Thaddeus (2001). The Concept of a Meaningful Life. ''American Philosophical Quarterly'' 38 (2): 137-153.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Metz |first=Thaddeus |date=2001 |title=The Concept of a Meaningful Life |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/20010030 |journal=American Philosophical Quarterly |volume=38 |issue=2 |pages=137–153 |issn=0003-0481}}</ref> * Metz, Thaddeus (2001). Respect for Persons and Perfectionist Politics. ''Philosophy and Public Affairs'' 30 (4): 417-442.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Metz |first=Thaddeus |date=2001 |title=Respect for Persons and Perfectionist Politics |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1088-4963.2001.00417.x |journal=Philosophy & Public Affairs |language=en |volume=30 |issue=4 |pages=417–442 |doi=10.1111/j.1088-4963.2001.00417.x |issn=1088-4963|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
== Secondary literature == Special journal issues and books devoted to Metz's research include:
* Kirk Lougheed (ed.) 'Thaddeus Metz's ''A Relational Moral Theory''’, ''Social Theory and Practice'' 51 (2025).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lougheed |first=Kirk |date=2025 |title=Introduction to the Special Issue on Thaddeus Metz's A Relational Moral Theory: African Ethics In and Beyond the Continent |url=https://www.pdcnet.org/collection-anonymous/browse?fp=soctheorpract&fq=soctheorpract%2FVolume%2F8949%7C51%2F8998%7CIssue%3A+2%2F |journal=Social Theory and Practice |volume=51 |issue=2}}</ref> * Olatunji Oyeshile (ed.) 'On an African Moral Theory', ''African Philosophical Inquiry'' 11 (2023).<ref>{{Cite journal |date=2023 |title=African Philosophical Inquiry, Vol. 11, 2023. |url=https://africanphilosophicalinquiry.com/sites/default/files/doc/African%20Philosophical%20Inqury%2C%2011.pdf |journal=African Philosophical Inquiry |volume=}}</ref> * Paul Slama and Carien Smith (eds) 'Meanings of Gods. Questions to Thaddeus Metz', ''International Journal of Philosophy and Theology'' 82 (2021).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Smith |first=Carien |last2=Slama |first2=Paul |date=2021-10-20 |title=Introduction: meanings of gods |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21692327.2021.2020150 |journal=International Journal of Philosophy and Theology |doi=10.1080/21692327.2021.2020150 |issn=2169-2327}}</ref> * Yujin Nagasawa (ed.) 'Book Symposium: Thaddeus Metz's ''Meaning in Life''', ''European Journal for Philosophy of Religion'' 8 (2016).<ref>{{Cite journal |date=2016-06-21 |title=Vol. 8 No. 2 (2016): Book Symposium: Thaddeus Metz's Meaning in Life: An Analytic Study |url=https://philosophy-of-religion.eu/index.php/ejpr/issue/view/3 |journal=European Journal for Philosophy of Religion |language=en-US |volume=8 |issue=2 |doi=10.24204/ejpr.v8i2 |issn=1689-8311|url-access=subscription }}</ref> * Masahiro Morioka (ed.) ''Reconsidering Meaning in Life: A Philosophical Dialogue with Thaddeus Metz'' (Saitama, Japan: Waseda University, 2015).<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Reconsidering Meaning in Life: A Philosophical Dialogue with Thaddeus Metz |url=https://www.philosophyoflife.org/jpl2015si_book.pdf |journal=Journal of Philosophy of Life}}</ref>
== Honours ==
* Metz has been awarded an ‘A’ rating for the quality and impact of his research four times by the South African National Research Foundation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Professor Thaddeus Metz |url=https://www.nrf.ac.za/2025-nrf-awards/2025-a-rated-researchers-a-rated-for-the-4th-time/professor-thaddeus-metz/ |website=National Research Foundation}}</ref> * Metz was elected to the Academy of Science of South Africa.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Members – ASSAf |url=https://www.assaf.org.za/members-directory/ |access-date=2024-09-05 |language=en-US}}</ref>
== See also == * African philosophy * Analytic philosophy
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * [https://philpapers.org/asearch.pl?proOnly=on&newWindow=on&langFilter=&categorizerOn=&filterByAreas=&freeOnly=&year=&sort=pubYear&filterMode=authors&searchStr=Metz%2C+Thaddeus&sqc=&showCategories=on&publishedOnly=&onlineOnly=&hideAbstracts=&format=html&start=&limit=&jlist=&ap_c1=&ap_c2= 'Works by Metz, Thaddeus', Philosophical Papers] * [https://scholar.google.co.za/citations?hl=en&user=-iAbDVQAAAAJ Metz's Google Scholar Profile] * [https://www.up.ac.za/philosophy/prof-thaddeus-metz Metz’s University of Pretoria website]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Metz, Thaddeus}} Category:Living people Category:American philosophers Category:Academic staff of the University of Pretoria Category:Cornell University alumni Category:1968 births