Stephen R. L. Clark

Stephen Richard Lyster Clark (born 30 October 1945) is an English philosopher and professor emeritus of philosophy at the University of Liverpool. Described as an "anarcho-conservative", Clark specializes in the philosophy of religion and animal rights, writing from a philosophical position that can be broadly categorized as Christian Platonism. He is a prolific author, with twenty books to his name, including significant works on animal ethics such as 'The Moral Status of Animals' (1977), 'The Nature of the Beast' (1982), and 'Animals and Their Moral Standing' (1997). His other notable books cover a range of topics including G.K. Chesterton, philosophical futures, and ancient Mediterranean philosophy. Clark also published 77 scholarly articles and contributed chapters to 109 other books. He previously served as the editor-in-chief of the 'Journal of Applied Philosophy' from 1990 to 2001. Clark was born in Luton, Bedfordshire, and received his education at Balliol College, Oxford, where he earned BA and DPhil degrees. His academic career included lecturing in moral philosophy at the University of Glasgow before becoming a professor at the University of Liverpool. He has also held visiting professorships at Vanderbilt University and a fellowship at Durham University. His work on animal rights has involved service on the British government's Animal Procedures Committee and involvement with the Boyd Group. Clark is also known for his work on Plotinus, with several recent publications focusing on this philosopher. Personally, Clark is a Christian vegetarian and is married to Gillian Clark, with whom he has three children.