David Gauthier

David Gauthier (born September 10, 1932, died November 9, 2023) was a Canadian philosopher best known for his neo-Hobbesian or contractarian theory of morality, as developed in his 1986 book *Morals by Agreement*. He was educated at the University of Toronto, Harvard University, and the University of Oxford. Gauthier taught at the University of Toronto from 1958 to 1980, after which he joined the University of Pittsburgh's philosophy department. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1979. His work in moral theory, practical rationality, and political philosophy, particularly his interest in Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, significantly influenced contemporary thought. He passed away at the age of 91.