Born on 6 October 1945 in Moscow, Russia. Finished primary and high school in Belgrade (then Yugoslavia). Studied philosophy at the University of Belgrade (BA 1970, PhD 1980). Married to Edna Primoratz (née Kaufmann); one daughter, Tamar. Nationality: Australian.

Areas of specialization: ethics, theoretical and applied; political philosophy; philosophy of law; philosophy of sexuality.

Areas of competence: Kant and 19th-century German philosophy; philosophy of history.

Taught moral and political philosophy and philosophy of history in the Department of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, from 1970 to 1983 (Teaching Assistant, 1970-1980; Lecturer, 1980-1983). Post-doctoral Fellow in the Department of Philosophy, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel, in 1981/82. Visiting Lecturer in Philosophy in the same department, 1982/83; Senior Lecturer, 1983-1991; Associate Professor, 1992-2003; Professor, 2003-2005; Professor Emeritus, 2005-. Principal Research Fellow at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, Department of Philosophy, University of Melbourne, 2001-2008. Professorial Fellow at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, Charles Sturt University, Canberra, since 2009.

Visiting appointments: Visiting Fellow, University College, Oxford, 1986; Visiting Professor of Philosophy, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA, 1989; Visiting Research Fellow, Centre for Philosophy and Public Affairs, University of St. Andrews, UK, 1989; British Academy Visiting Professor at the Morrell Studies in Toleration Program, Department of Politics, University of York, UK, 1989/90; Visiting Fellow, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, 1996; Visiting Research Scholar, Centre for Philosophy and Public Issues, Department of Philosophy, University of Melbourne, Australia, 1996/97. Permanent Visiting Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Zagreb, Croatia, since 2006.

Main Research Areas

Over more than three decades of philosophy teaching and research at academic institutions in Europe, Israel, US and Australia, I have written on problems in ethical theory, political philosophy, and philosophy of law, such as moral conflict, the limitations of consequentialism, political obligation, and the ethical justification of legal punishment. I have also done much work in applied moral, political, and legal philosophy, and written on topics such as capital punishment, sexual morality, civilian immunity in war, the definition and moral justification of terrorism, and the ethics of lying.

More Information

More information can be found at http://www.cappe.edu.au/staff/igor-primoratz.htm.