We are proud to announce that second year graduate student Rose Sanchez won the Graduate Student Paper Prize in Queer Analytic Philosophy. (The prize is affiliated with the Queer Analytic Philosophy Conference, hosted by UC Santa Cruz.)Huge congratulations to Rose!
We are proud to announce that fifth year graduate student Kade Cicchella was awarded the 2026 Presidential Dissertation Fellowship in Social Sciences from the Graduate School. This fellowship covers a quarter of pay, benefits, and tuition.Huge congratulations to Kade!
After a very full year of achievements for our students, it seems right to highlight the accomplishments of our graduate students and highlight what they have achieved over the past year. PublicationsNicolai Wohns had an article published in the AMA Journal of Ethics, along with editing the issue as an editorial fellow. The abstract for his article is as follows: "Advances in public health, medicine, and technology since the mid-19th century have redefined what is considered “natural” for…
These days, most of us offer a qualified answer to even the simplest of questions: How are you? There’s so much to take into consideration given the chaotic state of the world, divisive national politics, and local budgetary issues. Even on a gloriously sunny summer day in the Emerald City, on the grounds of one of the most beautiful campuses in the US, it can sometimes be difficult to appreciate what we have. Still, the poets and philosophers teach us to pause and notice the beauty of the…
From a modern classic in fiction to an interesting collection of non-fiction, this year’s summer book recommendations by the philosophy faculty offer choices for everyone to ponder in the hammock. Check out the books our faculty members recommend or are planning to read this summer. We hope you find some great picks to add to your reading list!Ben Feintzeig: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt Sara Goering:
Making Parents: The…
Congratulations to all our 2026 graduates!We held our ceremony June 8, 2025 at the wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House, continuing the wonderful tradition of a Philosophy Departmental Graduation. Over half of the class of 2026, both undergraduate and graduates, were able to attend, bringing over 350 of their family and friends to celebrate with them. Our alumni speaker was Jasmin Weaver, the Chief of Staff for the King County Executive, a 2002 UW Philosophy grad. Our…
The Department of Philosophy celebrated the achievements of our students and faculty at our annual awards ceremony. We had an in-person celebration in Savery Hall May 28th, 2026, and were thrilled to celebrate our award winners’ accomplishments together. Our heartfelt tradition of sharing personal anecdotes about each recipient continued, to the delight of family, friends, and classmates. We are proud of the accomplishments of all our department members and look forward to seeing what they…
Congratulations to philosophy undergraduate major's Sarah D'Souza, Andrew Shaw, and Jiaqi Wang who were selected for the 2026 Husky 100! You can view Sarah's contribution here, Andrew's…
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 changing the target’s mind on some moral matter. A key premise that underlies much of this dissertation is…
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 some of the central features of Arthur Schopenhauer's theory of action. It does so through three…
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, Department Chair and Colin Marshall. The abstract for their dissertation is as follows: …
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 Philosophy faculty members Sosseh Assaturian, Paul Franco and Colin Marshall.
The…