Joel Feinberg

Joel Feinberg, a distinguished UA philosophy professor and noted author, died Monday from complications with Parkinson's disease. He was 77.

Feinberg taught courses in social and political philosophy, ethics and law, and morality at the UA for 17 years. He retired in 1994.

During his career, Feinberg received the honor of Regents Professor of philosophy and law, the highest mark of distinction the UA offers.

J. Christopher Maloney, director of the philosophy department, said Feinberg was primarily interested in philosophical questions about morality, nature and law, and he wrote many influential pieces on the subjects.

"He wrote well over 100 professional published articles in the world's best journals," Maloney said.

One of Feinberg's most renowned publications was the textbook he edited, "Reason and Responsibility," which first appeared in 1965 and has been published every year since.

"I do suspect it is the most successful textbook in the history of philosophy," Maloney said.

Feinberg not only excelled in the world of academia, but he also connected with his students on a personal level.

"He was a fantastic teacher of students of all levels," Maloney said. "He influenced the scholarship of many people in the English-speaking world."

Feinberg was extremely interested in the individual development of each of his students, Maloney said.

"He helped them develop on an individual basis as students and then as scholars," he said. "Students liked his friendliness, accessibility and mentoring."

Between 1984 and 1988, Feinberg also published a four-volume piece, "The Moral Limits of the Criminal Law."

Feinberg examined philosophy in a very critical and original way, looking at the moral issues that surface in law, Maloney said.

The topics of his writings range from abortion and free speech to environmental law.

Although Feinberg was a distinguished and accomplished professor, "he had an office no bigger than a broom closet," Maloney said.

"He was completely without pretense," Maloney said. "His office was completely modest, but it made no difference for him."

The door was always open, and there was almost always a student in the chair, Maloney said.

Before making his mark on the UA, Feinberg taught at universities such as Princeton University, Brown University and the University of California, Los Angeles.

The professor, who loved his work as much as the students he taught, will be remembered for his great sense of humor and love for the UA, Maloney said.

Feinberg is survived by his wife, Betty; a sister, Lois Kozlow; two children and three grandchildren.

Memorial services are planned for 2 p.m. Saturday at Academy Village, 13701 E. Old Spanish Trail.