John Hospers

Infobox Politician
name = John Hospers


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candidate = President of the United States
term_start = November 7, 1972
runningmate = Theodora Nathan
opponent = Richard Nixon (R)
George McGovern (D)
John G. Schmitz (AI).
incumbent = Richard Nixon (R)
predecessor = N/A
successor = Roger MacBride
birth_date = June 9, 1918 (age 90)
birth_place =
death_date =
death_place =
constituency =
party = Libertarian
spouse =
profession = Academician
religion =


footnotes =

John Hospers (born 9 June 1918) is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern California. Hospers earned advanced degrees from the University of Iowa and Columbia University and taught in the fields of philosophy and aesthetics. Early in his career he taught philosophy at Brooklyn College and at California State University, Los Angeles.

Hospers' books include: "Meaning and Truth in the Arts" (1946), "Introductory Readings in Aesthetics" (1969), "Artistic Expression" (1971), "Law and the Market" (1985), "Introduction to Philosophical Analysis" (now in the 4th edition, 1996), "Human Conduct" (now in the 3rd edition, 1995), "Understanding the Arts" (1982), "Libertarianism – A Political Philosophy for Tomorrow" (1971). He was editor of three anthologies and has contributed to books edited by others. He has authored about 150 articles in various scholarly and popular journals.

Hospers was editor of "The Personalist" (1968-82) and of "The Monist" (1982-92). He is an editor of "Liberty" magazine.

He became friends with Ayn Rand in 1961, and according to the Daily Objectivist, "Hospers wasn't exactly a libertarian when he met Ayn Rand, but he largely came around to her way of thinking..." [http://www.theadvocates.org/celebrities/john-hospers.html] Recognizing that Rand's ethical system could also be supported by others unfamiliar with Objectivist epistemology and metaphysics, he codified a somewhat broader common principle that opposes the initiation of physical force (see non-aggression_principle); this formulation later became the certification statement (or "pledge") required for membership in the United States Libertarian Party.

Hospers was the first presidential candidate of the United States Libertarian Party, running in the 1972 presidential election. He and his vice-presidential running mate, Theodora Nathan, received 3,674 votes and one electoral vote from faithless elector Roger MacBride, a Republican elector from Virginia. (The term "faithless elector" doesn't take into account the intended purpose of the Electoral College. MacBride, in fact, had written a book on the subject.)

Following his unsuccessful presidential campaign, Hospers also ran for governor of California as a Libertarian in 1974.

In 2002, an hour-long video about his life, work, and philosophy was released by the Liberty Fund of Indianapolis as part of its "Classics of Liberty" series.

He endorsed George W. Bush for president of the United States in 2004. [http://www.theatlasphere.com/columns/041026-hospers-caseforbush.php]

Electoral history

United States presidential election, 1972
* Richard Nixon/Spiro Agnew (R) (inc.) - 47,168,710 (60.7%) and 520 electoral votes (49 states carried)
* George McGovern/Sargent Shriver (D) - 29,173,222 (37.5%) and 17 electoral votes (1 state and D.C. carried)
* John Hospers/Theodora Nathan (Libertarian) - 3,674 (0.0%) and 1 electoral vote
* John G. Schmitz/Thomas J. Anderson (American Independent) - 1,100,868 (1.4%)
* Linda Jenness/Andrew Pulley (Socialist Workers) - 83,380 (0.1%)
* Benjamin Spock/Julius Hobson (People's) - 78,759 (0.1%)
* Others - 135,414 (0.2%)