Legal and political philosopher Ronald Dworkin passed away today at age 81. Here is an obituary. He was one of the giants of his field to the extent that even many who are not in his field (like myself) have at least a basic familiarity with his work. Feel free to comment on his impact on political science and theory in the comments.
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This is a devastating loss. Normally, one would not say this about someone who dies at an advanced age after a sterling career. But Dworkin was different. He was still producing lucid and influential work up until almost the end. If he had been granted a few more years we would have all benefited.
I can’t add more to the excellent Guardian obituary; that may be the best short overview of Dworkin’s life and work I’ve ever read. Those interested in just how sharp he was as death approached, however, could do no better then to read his NYROB essay on NFIB, “A Bigger Victory Than We Knew” from the August 16, 2012 issue.
There is a thread on Dworkin at Crooked Timber, fyi