Aaron Ancell

Aaron Ancell is an assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy. His research and teaching focus primarily on issues in ethics and political philosophy, often bringing insights from the social sciences to bear on normative questions.

Previously, he held postdoctoral fellowships at the the EJ Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University, and at the Centre for Ethics at the University of Toronto. He earned his PhD from Duke University in 2017.

Education

• Ph.D. Duke University
• B.A. (Honours) Simon Fraser University

Teaching Interests

Ethics; Political Philosophy

Research Interests

Ethics; Political Philosophy

Employment

• Bentley University, Assistant Professor, Philosophy ​2019 - present
• Harvard University, Postdoctoral Fellow, Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics ​2018 - 2019
• University of Toronto, Postdoctoral Fellow, Centre for Ethics ​2017 - 2018

Publications

Journal Articles

• Ancell, A. (2023). Corporate Counterspeech. Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, (26) 4 489 - 492. (Link)
• Ancell, A. (2022). Bias, Safeguards, and the Limits of Individuals. Business Ethics Journal Review, (10) 5 27-32. (Link)
• Ancell, A. J. (2020). Political Irrationality, Utopianism, and Democratic Theory. Politics, Philosophy & Economics.
• Ancell, A. (2019). The Fact of Unreasonable Pluralism. Journal of the American Philosophical Association. 5:4 410-428.
• Ancell, A., Sinnott-Armstrong, W. (2019). The need for feasible compromises on conscientious objection: response to Card. Journal of Medical Ethics. 45:8 560-561.
• Norman, W., Ancell, A. (2018). Democratic Theory for a Market Democracy: The Problem of Merriment and Diversion When Regulators and Regulated Meet. Journal of Social Philosophy.
• Ancell, A. J. (2017). Democracy Isn't That Smart (But We Can Make it Smarter): On Landemore's Democratic Reason. Episteme.
• Ancell, A. J., Sinnott-Armstrong, W. (2017). How to Allow Conscientious Objections in Medicine While Protecting Patient Rights. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics.

Book Chapters

• Ancell, A. (2021). Liberalism In William Galston and Tom G Palmer, (Eds.) Truth and Governance: Religious and Secular Views. Brookings Institution Press