Dr. Philip Pettit

Biography

Philip Pettit is a Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the Australian National University, also serving as the L.S. Rockefeller University Professor of Human Values at Princeton University. His academic journey has its roots in Ireland, where he was a lecturer at University College Dublin and later a Research Fellow at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. In 1983, he became a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Bradford, and since 2002, he has held a joint appointment with the Research School of Social Sciences at the Australian National University. His notable contributions to political theory and philosophy are recognized by his election as a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2017 and his fellowships in multiple academies including the Australian Academy of the Humanities and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Pettit is also known for his extensive research in political ontology, moral philosophy, and the philosophy of social science, addressing themes such as group agency, freedom, justice, and the nature of norms. His publications include influential texts like 'Common Minds: Themes in Philosophy', co-edited with other prominent philosophers. Throughout his career, he has supervised numerous research students and actively collaborated on projects focusing on the ethical implications of risk and the demands of reason, shaping the discourse in contemporary philosophy.

Research Interests