News

On July 1st, Jennifer Jhun will join Duke University's Department of Philosophy as an Assistant Professor.  Jennifer is a native of Oklahoma and completed her undergraduate work at Northwestern University.  At Northwestern, she double majored in Economics and Philosophy thinking she would pursue a law degree but eventually changing her mind and deciding upon a PhD in Philosophy instead.  Prior to coming to Duke, Jennifer was at the University of Pittsburgh for 8 years and then in 2016 went on… read more about The Department of Philosophy would like to welcome its newest faculty member, Jennifer Jhun. »

A new award, which celebrates excellence in philosophy of physics, will be presented during a free, two-day campus event where the winner will be the featured speaker. The inaugural Du Châtelet Prize in Philosophy of Physics — supported by Duke University in collaboration with the publication Studies in History and Philosophy of Science — recognizes a U.S. or international graduate student or a recent Ph.D. for their previously unpublished work in philosophy of physics. This year, applicants were asked to… read more about Duke Recognizes Philosophy of Physics Prize Winner During Upcoming Campus Workshop »

Duke Philosophy PhD Candidate Ewan Kingston wrote for the Carnegie Council on three civil society strategies that can ratchet up climate ambition, including pressing domestically for ambitious pledges, comparing mitigation pledges, and facilitating means of implementation. The article also appears on the Ethics and International Affairs website.  read more about Philosophy Grad Student on What Civil Society can do for Climate Change »

Wireless Philosophy (Wi-Phi) received a grant in the amount of $250,000 from the National Endowment of the Humanities (NEH). Wi Phi's goal is to "introduce people to the practice of philosophy by making videos that are freely available in a form that is entertaining, interesting and accessible to people with no background in the subject." Wi Phi features Duke Philosophy PhD candidates Paul Henne (associate director) and Matthew Harris (content associate). Learn more about Wi Phi here, and read… read more about Wi Phi Receives $250,000 NEH Grant »

Duke University is pleased to announce the Du Châtelet Prize in Philosophy of Physics, an award that celebrates excellence in philosophy of physics and promotes breadth across the field both historically and philosophically. The prize — supported by Duke in collaboration with the Studies in History and Philosophy of Science — will be awarded next Spring to a U.S. or international graduate student or recent Ph.D. to recognize their previously unpublished work in philosophy of physics. The winner will receive $1,000… read more about Duke Announces New Prize for Philosophy of Physics »

Andrew Janiak writes about Project Vox in the Washington Post.  "Two years ago, philosophy professors Andrew Janiak of Duke University and Christia Mercer of Columbia University wrote for Grade Point about the need to rectify gender bias in the history of a discipline long dominated by men. Here, Janiak writes about his own experience with this issue."   read more about Project Vox in the Washington Post »

The Department of Philosophy welcomes Kathrine Brading.  Katherine comes to us from University of Notre Dame, where she served as Director of the History and Philosophy of Science Program. She currently holds an ACLS collaborative research fellowship with Marius Stan (Boston College) for their book on 18th century matter theory and mechanics. Additional projects include research on 18th century philosopher Émilie du Châtelet Foundations of Physics; and a monograph re-telling history of… read more about Welcome Katherine Brading! »

Team Members include: Aaron Ancell, Duke University, Dr. Jordan Carpenter, Psychology, Duke University, and Dr. Jesse Summers, Philosophy, Duke University. A Healthier Q&A: Can asking the right questions make political discussion more productive?Walter Sinnott-Armstrong of Duke University and his team will work to determine which questions, and which contexts, produce humility and civility in public discourse and which produce polarization and inflexibility, with the ultimate goal of… read more about Walter Sinnott-Armstrong Awarded Grant- "Towards a Culture of Questioning: Accountability, Humility, and Public Discourse" »

Aaron Ancell, Ph.D. candidate in Philosophy, coauthored a paper that was published this month in Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics. The paper, “How to Allow Conscientious Objections in Medicine While Protecting Patient Rights,” challenges those who propose an outright ban on conscientious objections in medicine, arguing that many conscientious objections must be permitted simply because they fall within the range of freedom doctors have to define the scope of their own practices. The latter half of the… read more about Philosophy Student Explores Healthcare Ethics, Political Disagreement »

Allen Buchanan (Duke Philosophy) and Russell Powell (Boston University)  accepted the NEH Grant Offers and Awards, July 2016. Project Title: The Evolution of Moral Progress Project Description: Preparation for publication of a co-written book about the possibility of a theory of moral progress in light of current evolutionary explanations of morality.  For more information on the NEH Grant, please click here. read more about NEH Grant Awarded to Allen Buchanan and Russell Powell »

Duke alumnus Joseph Wu is among 55 international recipients selected for the Gates-Cambridge Scholarship, which covers a student’s tuition and living expenses while completing a graduate degree at the University of Cambridge. Some 3,730 applicants competed for only 90 scholarships (55 of which are reserved for international students or students studying outside the United States). The Gates-Cambridge Scholarship program began in 2000 with a grant of $210 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The scholarships… read more about Duke Alumnus Joseph Wu Named Gates-Cambridge Scholar »