Philosophy News - UTSC

News Categories

On a U of T blue background, three photo vignettes, from left to right: Yiwen Mao, an Asian person with short hair wearing an anorak; Sophie Zhang, an East Asian girl with long hair in a school uniform; and Diksha Mehta, a South East Asian young woman with long hair and glasses sitting on a bench wearing a pink blouse.

The 2025 Aristotle Contest Winners Revealed

Published: November 7, 2025

Posted In: , , , ,

Yiwen (Molly) Mao, Sophie Zhang, and Diksha Mehta–they emerged victorious, but “competition was exceptionally tough this year” in the 2025 Aristotle Contest edition, says Jim John, the Department of Philosophy’s high school coordinator and lead of the Aristotle Contest adjudicating committee. Rising above the crowd in a highly competitive field, … Read More

On a U of T blue background, headshots of, from left to right, John Miller, David Rattray, and Kristen Beard. Miller is a bearded Metis man standing in front of a vast shore landscape, while w=Rattray, a white man with short brown hair, sits full frame in a blue button down, and Beard sports long blonde hair, glasses, and a big smile standing in front of a primarily yellow bookcase.

Recent PhDs

Published: October 20, 2025

Posted In: , , , ,

The Department of Philosophy congratulates its three most recent PhDs: In September, John R. Miller successfully defended his dissertation titled “Wahkootowin Ethics: A Métis Approach to the Ethics of Kinship,” supervised by Andrew Franklin-Hall. Miller currently holds the position of lecturer at the University of Victoria. David Rattray and Kristen Beard … Read More

On a U of T blue background, a headshot of Munema Moiz, a young hijabi wearing a black top and a salmon-colored head scarf. She as a Mona Lisa smile in the photo.

“The Privacy of First-Personal Perspective”: A Piece of Public Philosophy by Munema Moiz

Published: September 30, 2025

Posted In: , , , ,

In “The Privacy of First-Personal Perspective: Engaging with Indian Philosophy of Cosmopsychism,” published on the Blog of the APA, Philosophy graduate student Munema Moiz discusses one of contemporary philosophy’s most pertinent challenges–the so-called hard problem of consciousness–and then critically examines it through the lens of non-Western thought, specifically, that of … Read More

On a medium blue background, a magenta illustration of a stack of books, surrounded by the U of T blue words "On the Bookshelf"

New Book Publications

Published: September 17, 2025

Posted In: , , , , ,

Congratulations to Rasmus Rosenberg Larsen and Bob Gibbs on the publications of their latest books: Larsen’s Psychopathy Unmasked: The Rise and Fall of a Dangerous Diagnosis, published by MIT Press, brings to the fore the scientific wrongheadedness of society’s fascination with psychopaths and examines how the criminal justice system has misused … Read More

On a U of T blue background, headshots of Kira Jensen (left) and Patrina van Nieuwstadt (right), both young women with long, straight hair, Kira blone and Patrina dark brown. The images are accompanied by their names in powder blue.

Petrina van Nieuwstadt & Kira Jensen Awarded JHI Undergraduate Fellowships for 2025-2026

Published: June 17, 2025

Posted In: , , , ,

Two Philosophy undergraduate students, Petrina von Nieuwstadt and Kira Jensen, each received a 2025-2026 Undergraduate Fellowship at the Jackman Humanities Institute (JHI), allowing them to advance work on projects under the JHI’s Dystopia & Trust theme for the coming year. The JHI offers six such fellowships per year. Petrina von … Read More

Head shot of Victor Chung, a young East Asian man with glasses and short, black, curly hair standing under a bridge wearing a blue button-down and black vest. All this on a U of T blue background with his name and the words "Class of 2025."

Victor Chung: A Graduation in Two Movements

Published: June 16, 2025

Posted In: , , ,

Victor Chung graduates this year from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Music, but the occasion marks more than the completion of a degree. It is a moment of quiet culmination—of years spent navigating two disciplines, two modes of thought, and a deepening commitment to questions that resist … Read More

Head shot of Peter Khan, a young Korean man with short, black hair standing inside a simple wooden cabin wearing a black sweater, smiling mildly. All this on a U of T blue background with his name and the words "Class of 2025."

Peter Khan: A Graduating Student’s Life in Search of Meaning

Published: June 10, 2025

Posted In: , , ,

Peter Khan’s journey to the University of Toronto was anything but conventional. Born in South Korea, Peter has lived many lives—military cadet, international liaison officer, marketing writer, fashion trader, monastic aspirant, and now, a graduating philosophy student and financial advisor. His story is one of resilience, reinvention, and a relentless … Read More

Upper-body shot of Salem Kakish, a smiling young man with short brown hair wearing a checkered shirt underneath a beige trench coat standing against a backdrop of the roofs of Paris. All this on a U of T blue background with his name in orange and the words "Class of 2025" in beige.

Salem Kakish: Philosophy, Purpose, and the Power of Community—A Graduand Profile

Published: June 2, 2025

Posted In: , , , ,

When Salem Kakish reflects on his undergraduate journey at the University of Toronto, he doesn’t just see a degree in philosophy—he sees a transformation. A graduating fourth-year philosophy specialist and soon-to-be Oxford law student, Salem’s story is one of intellectual curiosity, resilience, and a deep commitment to community.  Born in … Read More