LSE Philosophy

📄LSE Philosophy Assistant Professor Lewis Ross has published his new article ‘Mock juries, real trials: how to solve (some) problems with jury science’ in the Journal of Law and Society:

Mock juries, real trials: how to solve (some) problems with jury science Jury science is fraught with difficulty. Since legal and institutional hurdles render it all but impossible to study live criminal jury deliberation, researchers make use of various indirect methods ...

🎧 We are pleased to share the latest episode of the 'Phlexible Philosophy' Podcast by LSE Philosophy alumnus Hamza King!

Hamza sat down with Jamie Draper to discuss climate displacement. Jamie is an Assistant Professor of Political Philosophy at Utrecht University and author of the book ‘Climate Displacement’

▶ Now available on Spotify:

The Phlexible Philosophy Podcast, Hosted by Hamza King Podcast · [object Object] · A space between armchair and academic philosophy.https://www.youtube.com/

We are pleased to announce the winner of the 2024 Lakatos Award, which goes to Carl Hoefer for his book ‘Chance in the World: A Humean Guide to Objective Chance’ (Oxford University Press, 2019) - Congratulations! 🥳

Carl Hoefer wins the 2024 Lakatos Award! The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is pleased to announce the winner of the 2024 Lakatos Award, which goes to Carl Hoefer for his book ‘Chance in the World: A Humean G…

‼ Call for nominations for the 2025 Lakatos Award: Deadline: 1 September 2024 ‼

For the 2025 Award, books published in English with an imprint from 2019 to 2024, inclusive, are eligible. The award is given for a monograph in the philosophy of science broadly construed, either single authored or co-authored, published in English. Anthologies and edited collections are not eligible. Any person of recognised standing within the philosophy of science or an allied field may nominate a book. Nominations must include a statement, of between one and three paragraphs, explaining the nominator’s reasons for regarding the book prize-worthy. Self-nominations are not allowed.

Send your nominations now!

Lakatos Award 2025: Call for nominations! Call for nominations for the 2025 Lakatos Award: Deadline: 1 September 2024. For the 2025 Award, books published in English with an imprint from 2019 to 2024, inclusive, are eligible. The award is …

➡ New Blog Article now online!

Decision-makers are sensitive to uncertainty. Prudential regulation in finance is a good example. In general, the more uncertain a financial institution is about its risk exposures, the more capital it needs to hold. But what if a financial institution is uncertain about how uncertain it is about its risks? LSE Philosophy PhD student Kangyu Wang argues that the increasing use of AI models in finance, while expectedly going to improve the accuracy and cost-efficiency of risk assessment, poses two uncertainty-related challenges against the current prudential regulation system. These difficulties highlight a more general problem regarding uncertainty: what to do when we are uncertain about how uncertain we are?

How AI Challenges Prudential Regulation Decision-makers are sensitive to uncertainty. Prudential regulation in finance is a good example. In general, the more uncertain a financial institution is about its risk exposures, the more capita…

📚 We are happy to announce the online release of 'The Edge of Sentience: Risk and Precaution in Humans, Other Animals, and AI' by Jonathan Birch!

📣 You can get the online version for FREE: https://academic.oup.com/book/57949?login=true

'Evita meets Thatcher: the woman fighting Venezuela’s autocracy' - an article about the Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado by Guest Teacher Paola Romero for The Spectator

Evita meets Thatcher: the woman fighting Venezuela’s autocracy Maria Corina Machado is showing the world how opposition politicians can fight an autocrat. When President Nicolas Maduro tried to thwart her campaign by banning her from taking domestic flights, she drove between her rallies on a motorcycle. When he then banned her from running as a candidate in Ve...

New article by Assistant Professor Jonathan Parry about 'The moral failings of UK military recruitment undefined' for

The moral failings of UK military recruitment   | LSE Research The army has a duty of care to its soldiers. But instead of seeking to reduce their exposure to moral harm, the UK is concentrating the risk of moral injury on its youngest and most disadvantaged citizens, says Jonathan Parry.

Congratulations! 🥳

Kate Vredenburgh from has been awarded a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship.

The aim of the scheme is to develop the next wave of world-class research and innovation leaders in academia and business.

Dr Kate Vredenburgh awarded a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship Dr Kate Vredenburgh from the Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method has been awarded a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship.

Roman F***g and Richard Bradley from are part of the Innovate UK funded project Hazard Impact Tracker (HIT) - they will share their expertise in decision making under uncertainty:

Roman F***g and Richard Bradley are part of an Innovate UK funded project Roman F***g and Richard Bradley from LSE Philosophy will share their expertise in decision making under uncertainty. The Innovate UK funded project “Hazard Impact Tracker (HIT): Leveraging Ne…

Many researchers now agree that animal consciousness is more common than once believed. One of the leading animal sentience researchers is LSE Philosophy Professor Jonathan Birch. His research is often met with scepticism from inside and outside the Philosophy world. However, he sometimes is a reasonable sceptic himself. In our latest blog post, Jonathan Birch gives insights into his inner dialogue with his own sceptic.

Why is animal consciousness controversial? Talking to my inner sceptic Researchers have proven over and over again that animal consciousness is more common than originally believed. One of the leading animal sentience researchers is LSE Philosophy Professor Jonathan B…

📣 Open Position: Graduate Programmes Manager

Join and become

Our department is searching for a Graduate Programmes Manager. Application deadline: 9 August 2024.

▶ More about the role and link to the LSE application portal: https://jobs.lse.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/3931/0/433999/15539/graduate-programmes-manager

🎧 The podcast of the LSE Festival panel on ‘Invertebrate minds: from spiders to octopuses’ is now online!

The LSE Philosophy panel discussed how to include invertebrate animals from spiders to sea creatures in debates on animal welfare to ensure their interests are protected and promoted.

Speakers: Daria Zakharova, Professor Elli Leadbeater, Jonathan Birch and Sam Beckbessinger
Chair: Bryan Roberts

➡ Link to the podcast: https://www.lse.ac.uk/lse-player?id=33337baa-32e0-4486-a89c-ca88b0cae2a3

🎥 Recording online!

by Catherine Robb (Tilburg University): ‘The Metaphysics of Collective Talent’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyiCd9AV4sA

▶ New Blog Article!

Moral Progress used to be one of the core ideas and commitments of the Enlightenment. Then it became a controversial idea, but a new theory of moral progress is now gaining traction, argues LSE Philosophy PhD student Rafael Ruiz de Lira.

https://www.lse.ac.uk/philosophy/blog/2024/07/01/moral-progress-a-controversial-yet-important-idea/

'Are animals conscious? How new research is changing minds'

➡ New BBC InDepth article with research by researcher Jonathan Birch

Are animals conscious? Some scientists now think they are A series of experiments have led a number of scientists to say animals may be conscious.

We are pleased to welcome Suzanne Bloks to , who will join us in September 2024 as Postdoctoral Researcher!

Suzanne will work as research officer in the ‘Cohesion and Deliberative Decision-Making’ project of the Cohesive Capitalism programme, funded by the Open Society Foundation: https://www.lse.ac.uk/cpnss/research/cohesion-and-deliberative-decision-making

🎥 recording online!

Michael Otsuka (Rutgers University): ‘Equal chances versus equal outcomes: when are lotteries fair and justified?’

Michael Otsuka (Rutgers): Equal chances versus equal outcomes: when are lotteries fair & justified? ​​​ | 29 May 2024Michael Otsuka (Rutgers University): ‘Equal chances versus equal outcomes: when are lotteries fair and justified?’Abstract: A...

We are happy to announce this year’s winner of the LSE Class Teacher Award 2024 for the Department.

🏆 Congratulations to Dominic Ryder!

Further, we would like to highlight the people that were ‘Highly Commended’ for the award: Bele Wollesen, Lea Bourguignon, Christabel Cane, Hanika Froneman, Veronika Luptakova, Paloma Morales, Amadeo Robiolio and Adam Wingardh

🥳 Congratulations to all! It’s a wonderful achievement and an important contribution to the teaching here at LSE Philosophy.

LSE Class Teacher Awards are given to Graduate Teaching Assistants, Teaching Fellows and Guest Teachers in recognition of their very special contribution to teaching at LSE.

We are searching: LSE Fellow in

⏰ Application deadline: 4 July 2024

Candidates should have:
- A completed PhD in Philosophy or another relevant discipline (or a PhD near completion) by the post start date;
- A developing, high-quality research record in Philosophy relevant to the teaching areas listed above;
- Excellent communication and presentation skills;
- A proven commitment to excellent teaching and to fostering a positive learning environment for students, as evidenced by feedback from students and colleagues.
- The ability to work in close partnership with fellow teachers, including on a one-on-one basis and in small groups, and to provide effective support to students, as necessary.

More about the position and link to the application portal:

We are searching: LSE Fellow in Philosophy The Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method is searching for an LSE Fellow in Philosophy. Application deadline: 4 July 2024. The Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method …

⏰ Tomorrow! Don't miss our panel 'Invertebrate minds: from spiders to octopuses' with Sam Beckbessinger, Jonathan Birch, Elli Leadbeater, Daria Zakharova, and Bryan Roberts

➡ Register now!

Invertebrate minds: from spiders to octopuses | LSE Festival 2pm Sat 15 June | Sam Beckbessinger, Jonathan Birch, Elli Leadbeater, Daria Zakharova | Free event at the LSE Festival: Power and Politics | Ticket required

New LSE Philosophy Blog Article

Research into the minds of other animals and particularly invertebrates raises questions about how we define and understand consciousness itself. PhD student Daria Zakharova discusses how creating an artistic interpretation of the mind of a spider can inspire new legislation and shed light on how we understand developments in new forms artificial of intelligence.

Can seeing like a spider change policy and the future of AI? Research into the minds of other animals and particularly invertebrates raises questions about how we define and understand consciousness itself. Daria Zakharova discusses how creating an artistic …

We are happy to announce that is now ranked number 1 in the UK for in the Complete University Guide 2025! 🥳

A great achievement thanks to our wonderful staff! 👏

Link to the full list: https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings/philosophy

"University life — for both undergraduates and postgraduates – can be a bit difficult. Especially if you’re trying to navigate it with a mental or physical impairments, are from an under-represented ethnic, racial, or religious background, if English is not your native language, or if you are in need of financial support." Learn more about how LSE can support students during their studies.

We are happy to share the LSE Student Blog article by MSc student James Rice 'Studying through adversity: how equity, diversity and inclusion works at LSE'

https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/studentsatlse/2024/05/23/studying-through-adversity-how-equity-diversity-and-inclusion-works-at-lse/

👥 Who should make the decisions that affect people with dementia?

Professor Anna Mahtani argues that advanced directives can help with decision-making for both those experiencing and those caring for someone with dementia.

Read the latest article here: https://www.lse.ac.uk/research/research-for-the-world/health/dementia-decision-making-law

Assistant Professor Ali Boyle is one of the newly selected CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars! 👏

This year, 10 emerging research leaders will join the CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars programme cohort 2024-2026, generously supported by the Azrieli Foundation. This ambitious next-generation initiative provides two years of unrestricted funding to talented researchers tackling important and pressing questions facing science and humanity.

The recruitment process for the latest cohort generated 285 eligible applications from 38 countries. The 10 researchers who were selected will join four CIFAR programmes: CIFAR MacMillan Multiscale Human, Future Flourishing, Gravity & the Extreme Universe and Humanity’s Urban Future.

Ali Boyle is part of the ‘Future Flourishing’ programme, where she will investigate the mind in nonhumans, including animals and AI systems, with the goal of understanding the diverse forms of memory that exist across species.

More about the CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars: https://cifar.ca/ten-emerging-research-leaders-named-cifar-azrieli-global-scholars/

Visiting Professor Christian List has published his new paper ‘Dynamically rational judgment aggregation’ in Springer: https://www.lse.ac.uk/philosophy/blog/2024/05/16/new-paper-dynamically-rational-judgment-aggregation/

The recording of the ‘Philosophy Live’ panel ‘Living in the past: exploring memory in humans, animals, and artificial agents’ is now online on YouTube.

Why live in the past? Humans reminisce and remember past events, even ‘replaying’ them in the mind’s eye. But why not just live in the moment? What’s the point in devoting mental resources to storing information about the past? Do other animals do this, or is dwelling on the past a uniquely human innovation? And what happens when we build this kind of memory into intelligent machines?

These are some of the questions our expert panel discussed this week. Many thanks to our panelists Ali Boyle, Felipe De Brigard, Nicola Clayton, Johannes Mahr, and Zafeirios Fountas – and to all guests for the interesting discussion.

▶ Link to the recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJui7f_8eaw

PhD student Ze’ev Goldschmidt has published his new paper ‘Foundations for Knowledge-Based Decision Theories’ in the Australasian Journal of Philosophy: https://www.lse.ac.uk/philosophy/blog/2024/05/09/new-paper-foundations-for-knowledge-based-decision-theories/

+ New Blog Article +

How individuals and groups are named and designated is inextricably linked to the expected outcomes of policy decisions aimed at influencing them. Discussing her recent work on these ‘objects of credence’, LSE Philosophy Professor Anna Mahtani suggests that an attentiveness to the plurality of possible designators can help policymakers be more aware of the underlying choices inherent to their work:

Names that contain multitudes – Why policymakers should care about objects of credence How individuals and groups are named and designated is inextricably linked to the expected outcomes of policy decisions aimed at influencing them. Discussing her recent work on these ‘objects of cr…