Williams, who divides his time between professorships at Oxford University and the University of California-Berkeley, is considered one of the most influential voices in contemporary moral philosophy. He is the author of books on Plato and Descartes as well as a volume titled "Making Sense of Humanity."

In describing his lecture, Williams said, "Many people think that 'humanity' is an ethical idea, and that it makes a basic moral difference whether a creature they are dealing with is another human being or not.... Some philosophers attack this outlook as a prejudice, similar to racism or sexism. I shall argue that their view is based on a deep misconception, which itself involves an attempt to project human attitudes onto the universe."