Martin Benjamin received his AB degree from Union College in English in 1962, after which he spent two years with the Peace Corps in Ethiopia. He then received an AM (1965) and a PhD (1970) in Philosophy from the University of Chicago. Benjamin spent two years as an instructor at Miami University before coming to the Philosophy Department at Michigan State University in 1970. He quickly made his mark at MSU, receiving the Teacher-Scholar Award in 1973 for “exceptional skill in and devotion to undergraduate teaching.” He received the Distinguished Faculty Award in 1995 and the Paul Varg Alumni Award in 2003. Benjamin’s scholarly work focused on ethics and social and political philosophy. He wrote and co-authored numerous books and articles, focusing on ethics in the health professions and politics. Retired in 2004, his legacy continues through the Martin Benjamin-Bruce L. Miller Award provided to MSU philosophy undergraduates showing great promise early in their careers and the Martin Benjamin Distinguished Guest Lecture.
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