The fifth year of the Philosophy Today lecture series kicks off tomorrow with Jeff McMahan of Rutgers University’s lecture, “What Rights May We Defend by Means of War?”

“Anything by Jeff McMahan is deeply informed, highly original, and shows you a great deal that you would never have seen,” said Norvin Richards, professor and former chair of the philosophy department.

McMahan is the author of five books and is a prolific article writer with more than fifty articles in the past five years, according to Richards.

McMahan earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature summa cum laude from Sewanee, the University of the South. Afterwards, he became a Rhodes Scholar and earned a second B.A. at Oxford in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. He then earned a master’s at Oxford and a Ph.D at Cambridge, both in philosophy.

H. Scott Hestevold started the Philosophy Today series when he became chair of the philosophy department.

“I wanted to have prominent philosophers come to UA not just to meet with faculty, but to speak with students also,” Hestevold said. “McMahan is a real star in philosophy. It’s a treasure to have him.”

In addition to the lecture, McMahan will sit with faculty and philosophy majors for a colloquium this afternoon at 4 p.m. and meet with Richards’s seminar on the ethics of parenthood tomorrow afternoon.

“It will be an opportunity to engage in dialogue with one of the best philosophical minds on the planet,” Richards said. “We are proud to be able to provide it.”

There will be three more lectures this year held on Dec. 1, March 6 and April 26.