American philosopher known as a major proponent of rationalism, an authority on Thomistic philosophy, and one of the leading neo-Aristotelian thinkers of his time. He opposed such modern and contemporary developments as the “transcendental turn” and the “linguistic turn.” A staunch advocate of plain speaking and “Hoosier” common sense, in philosophy and elsewhere, he argued on behalf of realist metaphysics and practical ethics.
Veatch’s most widely read book was Rational Man: A Modern Interpretation of Aristotelian Ethics (1962) which explicitly offered a rationalist counterpoint to William Barrett’s well-known study in existential philosophy, Irrational Man (1958).
He obtained his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1937 and spent his career at Indiana University (1937–1965), Northwestern University (1965–1973), and Georgetown University (1973–1983) where he was Philosophy Department Chair from 1973 to 1976. He also had visiting professorships at Colby College, Haverford College and St. Thomas University.
Veatch was active in the Episcopal Church and served as president of the American Catholic Philosophical Association. He served as president of the Metaphysical Society of America in 1961. In 1970–1971 he served as president of the Western Division of the American Philosophical Association. He was a member of the Guild of Scholars of The Episcopal Church.
Henry Veatch died in Bloomington, Indiana on 9 July 1999, aged 87.
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