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Earlier this month on February 13, 2026, Philosophy Graduate Student Daniel Galley successfully defended his dissertation titled: "The Ethics of Persuasion". He was overseen by a committee consisting of Philosophy faculty members Michael Blake, Colin Marshall, and José Mendoza. In this dissertation, I use ‘persuasion’ to refer to the provision of reasons offered with the intention of…
Three College of Arts & Sciences professors discuss the impact of AI on their teaching and on student learning. The consensus? It’s complicated.
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Prof. Michael Blake recently published an article in the Conversation titled: "How Trump’s Greenland threats amount to an implicit rejection of the legal principles of Nuremberg". You can check out the full article here.
Earlier this month on December 11, 2025, Philosophy Graduate Student Aaron Barker successfully defended his dissertation titled: "Schopenhauer on Character, Cognition, and Moral Responsibility". He was overseen by a committee consisting of Ellwood Wiggins, Chair of German Studies. Along with fellow Philosophy faculty members Colin Marshall, Paul Franco and Shawn Wang.His dissertation addresses…
The 2026 Washington State High School Ethics Bowl will be held at the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle on March 7th, 2026. Begun in 2014, the Washington State High school Ethics Bowl is run each year by PLATO and the University of Washington Department of Philosophy. Teams of high school students analyze a series of wide-ranging ethical dilemmas involving…
KUOW is thrilled to welcome six new members, including Andrea Woody, professor of philosophy at the UW, to the KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio Board of Directors. Featured
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The next time your phone’s virtual assistant gives you a quick answer instead of nudging you to think harder, remember Andre Ye (Computer Science / Philosophy, 2025). He’s part of a new generation of researchers reimagining how AI supports human thought.
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Last month, on August 21st, 2025, Philosophy Graduate Student Sofia Huerter successfully defended their dissertation titled: "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: Domestication, Disability, and Moral Repair". They were overseen by a committee consisting of Jamie Mayerfeld, Department Chair of Law, Societies, & Justice. Along with fellow Philosophy faculty members Michael Blake, Sara Goering,…
Earlier this month on August 15th, 2025, Philosophy Graduate Student Kyle O'Dwyer successfully defended his dissertation titled: "Deflationary Challenges and Essentialism". He was overseen by a committee consisting of Michael Raven, a Philosophy professor from University of Victoria. Rob Rhee, Chair of Interdisciplinary Visual Art, at the school of Art + Art History + Design. Along with fellow…
Putting aerosols in the stratosphere to reflect sunlight could prevent the shutdown of key ocean currents, but only if it is done soon, a computer model suggests. Stephen Gardiner, professor of philosophy at the UW, is quoted.
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