Romy Eskens

romyeskens.com·r.s.eskens@uu.nl Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies, Utrecht University

PDF: Full CV · Short CV

Research interests

AOSEthics, Moral Psychology, Social Philosophy
AOCFeminist Philosophy, Political Philosophy, Meta-Ethics

Positions

2023– Assistant Professor (permanent) Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies, Utrecht University
Fall 2022 Postdoctoral Researcher Department of Philosophy, Stockholm University

International visits

Spring 2027 Visiting Scholar, Harvard University
Spring 2020 Visiting Scholar, University of Texas at Austin Sponsor: Julia Driver

Education

2018–2022 PhD in Philosophy, Stockholm Centre for the Ethics of War and Peace (SCEWP), Stockholm University Thesis: Payback Time: Essays on Attitudes, Partiality, and Rescuing
Supervisors: Helen Frowe, Gunnar Björnsson
Examiner: R. Jay Wallace
Nominated for the 2022 Swedish Higher Education Association Thesis Award
2016–2018 BPhil in Philosophy (distinction in thesis component), Balliol College, University of Oxford Supervisor: Jeff McMahan
2014–2016 BA in History (cum laude), Utrecht University
2012–2015 BA in Philosophy (cum laude), Utrecht University

Publications

Articles and Chapters
Forthcoming Enemies and Rivals (with Gunnar Björnsson). Oxford Handbook of the Philosophy of Personal Relationships, ed. Betzler & Stroud (Oxford: OUP)
2026 Gelijkheid (“Equality”). Basisboek Ethiek, ed. Eskens, Hopster, de Mesel & Nys (Amsterdam: Boom) 66–81.
2026 On Discounting Wrongdoers (with Gunnar Björnsson). Analysis 86(3): 526–535.
2025 Gratitude and Rights. Australasian Journal of Philosophy 103(4): 1024–1038.
2025 Moral Gratitude. Journal of Applied Philosophy 42(1): 115–130.
2024 Expressive Duties Are Demandable and Enforceable. Oxford Studies in Normative Ethics, vol. 14, ed. Timmons (Oxford: OUP) 203–226.
2024 Reciprocity, Inequality, and Unsuccessful Rescues. Utilitas 36(1): 64–82.
2022 Other-Sacrificing Options: Reply to Lange. Journal of Ethics and Social Philosophy 21(2): 290–297.
2017 Is Sex with Robots Rape? Journal of Practical Ethics 5(2): 62–76.Winner of the 3rd Annual Oxford Uehiro Prize in Practical Ethics
Editor
2026 Basisboek Ethiek (with Jeroen Hopster, Benjamin de Mesel, and Thomas Nys). Amsterdam: Boom
2025 Symposium on Gratitude and Community. Journal of Applied Philosophy 42(1).
Reviews
2022 George Sher: A Wild West of the Mind. Ethical Theory and Moral Practice 25(5): 895–897.

Work in progress

Under review
A paper on the ethics of advice (with Jonas Haeg).
A paper on the possibility of mental wronging.
A paper on the nature and wrong of degradation.
In preparation
A paper arguing against the priority of dehumanisation in theorising about violence and cruelty.
A paper trying to emancipate the ethics of mind from the moral margins.
A paper on the distribution of agency as a fundamental concern of morality (with Gunnar Björnsson).
A paper on agency as a currency of distributive justice (with Gunnar Björnsson).
A paper on positive accountability attitudes (with Gunnar Björnsson), promised to Oxford Studies in Agency & Responsibility.
A paper on oversharing and relationship control (with Jonas Haeg).

Presentations

ScheduledLSE Law, Ethics and Justice Seminar invited
Stockholm Higher Seminar in Practical Philosophy
Oxford Studies in Agency & Responsibility peer-reviewed
EmotioNL Autumn Workshop 2026 invited
2026Norrköping Workshop: (De)humanization – Philosophical, Historical, and Cultural Perspectives invited
Swedish Congress of Philosophy peer-reviewed
VU Moral and Political Philosophy Colloquium invited
Bern Moral Philosophy Seminar invited
Utrecht Ethics Institute Colloquium
Central APA, Symposium Session peer-reviewed
Mannheim Workshop: New Ideas on Normativity peer-reviewed
Philosophy, Ethics and Killing Workshop invited
2025Philosophy, Ethics and Killing Workshop invited
Utrecht Workshop on Degradation and Dehumanisation
Lund Workshop on Praise invited
Society for Applied Philosophy Annual Conference peer-reviewed
BSET Annual Conference peer-reviewed
SWIP Panel, Joint Session of the Aristotelian Society and Mind Association peer-reviewed
2024MANCEPT: Setting Things Right
Dutch Research School in Philosophy Annual Conference peer-reviewed
UvA Philosophy & Public Affairs Colloquium invited
KCL Moral and Political Philosophy Research Seminar invited
Erasmus Institute for Philosophy & Economics Seminar invited
Leeds Centre for Aesthetic, Moral, and Political Philosophy Seminar invited
2023Utrecht Philosophy Lunch Lecture
Tilburg Practical Philosophy Seminar invited
Society for Applied Philosophy Annual Conference peer-reviewed
2022Stockholm Higher Seminar in Practical Philosophy invited
Lund-Gothenburg Responsibility Project Seminar invited
The Political Role of the Moral Emotions Conference peer-reviewed
Arizona Workshop in Normative Ethics / Oxford Studies in Normative Ethics peer-reviewed
Gothenburg Research Seminar in Practical Philosophy invited
LMU Munich Research Colloquium in Practical Philosophy invited
Utrecht Ethics Institute Colloquium
Philosophy, Ethics and Killing Workshop invited
2021KCL Graduate Conference in Politics, Philosophy & Law peer-reviewed
SCEWP Workshop on Gratitude
Philosophy, Ethics and Killing Workshop invited
Postgraduate Session, Joint Session of the Aristotelian Society and Mind Association peer-reviewed
Uppsala Higher Seminar in Practical Philosophy invited
Lund Higher Seminar in Practical Philosophy invited
Umeå Research Seminar in Practical Philosophy invited
Stockholm Higher Seminar in Practical Philosophy invited
Varieties of Moral Address Workshop: Agency, Authority and Responsibility peer-reviewed
APA Pacific Division Meeting peer-reviewed
Philosophy, Ethics and Killing Workshop invited
2020Lund-Gothenburg Responsibility Project Seminar invited
2019Pavia Graduate Conference in Political Philosophy peer-reviewed
SCEWP Annual Graduate and Early Career Reading Retreat
Society for Applied Philosophy Annual Conference peer-reviewed
Swedish Congress of Philosophy peer-reviewed
REAPP Graduate/Early Career Conference peer-reviewed
2018LSE Political Theory Graduate Conference peer-reviewed
St. Andrews CEPPA Graduate Conference peer-reviewed
2017Oxford Uehiro Prize in Practical Ethics finalist presentation peer-reviewed

Invited commentaries

2027 Gerald Lang, Defensive Manoeuvres Book Manuscript Workshop
2026 Katie Ebner-Landy, Character Sketch as Philosophy Utrecht Philosophical Café
2025 Julia Driver, Blame, Praise, and Normative Expectations Book Manuscript Workshop
2024 Samuel Reis-Dennis, “Blame’s Topography: Standing on Uneven Ground” VU Normative Philosophy Workshop
2023 Philip Södermark, “Lucrepaths at War: The Ethics of Profit in the Context of Warfare” SCEWP Graduate/Early Career Reading Retreat
2021 Dan Khokhar, “Why Is It Bad to Beg?” KCL Graduate Conference in Politics, Philosophy & Law
2021 Helen Frowe and Derek Matravers, The Ethics of Protecting Heritage in War Book Manuscript Workshop
2021 Nicolas Cornell, “Third Parties” Second Annual Rights Workshop: Rights and Harm
2020 Lisa Hecht, “Benevolent Risk-Taking” Stockholm Higher Seminar in Practical Philosophy
2019 Robert J. Hartman and Benjamin Matheson, “Acting Out of Character and Moral Responsibility” Stockholm Higher Seminar in Practical Philosophy

Funding and Awards

Major research grants
2025Veni Research Grant, NWO Talent Programme, for ‘The Guilty Mind’ €320,000
Other funding and awards
2022Society for Applied Philosophy Further Funding, for travel to the 2023 Arizona Workshop in Normative Ethics and a visit to UC Berkeley £1,100
2020APA Pacific Graduate Travel Award (cancelled — event moved online) $400
2020Society for Applied Philosophy Event Funding, for the SCEWP Workshop on Gratitude (cancelled — event moved online) £3,000
2019Cultuurfonds, for research visit at UT Austin €10,000
2017Oxford Uehiro Prize in Practical Ethics (3rd Annual), for ‘Is Sex with Robots Rape?’ £300
2017Balliol College Travel Grant, for the 9th European Society for Analytic Philosophy Congress £250
2016VSB Foundation, for BPhil tuition fees and living expenses €10,000
2016Vreedefond Foundation, for BPhil tuition fees and living expenses €6,000
2016Vrijevrouwe van Renswoude Foundation, for BPhil tuition fees and living expenses €4,000
2016Hendrik Müller Foundation, for BPhil tuition fees and living expenses €4,000

Teaching

Lecturer
2026Tutorial: MacKinnon’s A Feminist Theory of the State Graduate
2023–2026Normative Ethics Undergraduate
2025Topics in Ethical Theory: Blame Graduate
2025, 2023Political and Social Philosophy Undergraduate
2024Topics in Moral Psychology: Emotion Graduate
2023 (×2)Core Seminar: The Active Mind Graduate
2023Contemporary Political Philosophy Undergraduate
2023Emotions Undergraduate
2020Introduction to Political Philosophy Undergraduate
2020Global Ethics Graduate
2019The Ethics of War Graduate
Seminar Convenor
2022Introduction to Normative Ethics Undergraduate
2014–2015Ancient Philosophy Undergraduate
2014Medieval and Early Modern Philosophy Undergraduate
Supervision
BA Philosophy theses (×12)
MA Applied Ethics theses (×10)
BA Liberal Arts & Sciences thesis (×1)
RMA Philosophy thesis (×2)
BA Philosophy internships (×6)
BA Language and Culture Studies internships (×2)
MA Applied Ethics internships (×10)
RMA Philosophy research internships — degradation (×1), mental wronging (×1)
RMA Philosophy teaching internship — Normative Ethics (×1)
Outreach and impact student assistant

Qualifications & training

2026 Teaching Development Workshop: Designing Effective Peer Feedback in Higher Education Utrecht
2024 Professional Development Workshop: Communicating with Journalists and the Public Utrecht
2024 BKO University Teaching Qualification (full-year course) Centre for Academic Teaching and Learning, Utrecht
2023 Professional Development Workshop: Active Bystander in the Workplace Utrecht
2023 Teaching Development Workshop: Feedback and Assessment Utrecht
2022 University Teaching Qualification (one-semester course) Centre for the Advancement of University Teaching, Stockholm
2022 Teaching Development Workshop: Digital Learning and Teaching Essentials Stockholm
2022 Teaching Development Workshop: Internationalisation of Higher Education Stockholm
2021 Teaching Development Workshop: Discussion and Argumentation in Teaching Stockholm

Event organising and service

2025 Utrecht Workshop on Degradation and Dehumanisation Co-organiser
2024 MANCEPT Workshop: Setting Things Right Co-organiser and reviewer
2023 2024 Workshop, Oxford Studies in Normative Ethics Reviewer
2022 7th SCEWP Graduate and Early Career Reading Retreat Co-organiser and reviewer
2021 NordPhil Conference Reviewer
2021 6th SCEWP Graduate and Early Career Reading Retreat Co-organiser and reviewer
2021 7th Stockholm Graduate Philosophy Conference Co-organiser and reviewer
2021 SCEWP Workshop on Gratitude Sole organiser
2020 Arizona Workshop in Normative Ethics Invited chair
2019 6th Stockholm Graduate Philosophy Conference Reviewer
2017 21st Oxford Graduate Philosophy Conference Reviewer

Professional service

2026- Philosophy outreach and impact co-coordinator
2026- Chair of the examination board for the BA Language and Culture Studies and BA Liberal Arts and Sciences, Utrecht University
2025–2026 ‘Core teacher’ in the BA Language and Culture Studies, Utrecht University
2024– Member of the examination board for the BA Language and Culture Studies and BA Liberal Arts and Sciences, Utrecht University
2024– Personal tutor for the BA Philosophy, Utrecht University
2024–2026 Personal tutor for the BA Language and Culture Studies, Utrecht University
2023–2026 Thesis coordinator for the BA Philosophy, Utrecht University
2023–2025 Coordinator and chair of the Utrecht Ethics Institute Colloquium
2018–2022 Co-founder and co-chair of Stockholm’s chapter of Minorities and Philosophy
2018–2022 Member of the Stockholm Philosophy PhD Council
2018–2022 Administrative assistance for the Stockholm Centre for the Ethics of War and Peace
Reviewer Noûs (3×), Oxford Studies in Normative Ethics (entire volume), Philosophy, Journal of the American Philosophical Association, Journal of Ethics and Social Philosophy, Philosophia