Romy Eskens

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

Research interests
AOSEthics, Moral Psychology, Social Philosophy
AOCFeminist Philosophy, Political Philosophy, Meta-Ethics
Positions
2023– Assistant Professor Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies, Utrecht University
Fall 2022 Postdoctoral Researcher Department of Philosophy, Stockholm University
International visits
Spring 2027 Visiting Fellow, Harvard University
Spring 2020 Visiting Research 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 Gelijkheid ("Equality"). Basisboek Ethiek, ed. Eskens, Hopster, de Mesel & Nys (Amsterdam: Boom)
Forthcoming Enemies and Rivals (with Gunnar Björnsson). Oxford Handbook of the Philosophy of Personal Relationships, ed. Betzler & Stroud (Oxford: OUP)
2025 On Discounting Wrongdoers (with Gunnar Björnsson). Analysis Online First.
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
R&R
A paper on the ethics of advice (with Jonas Haeg).
In preparation
A paper on agency balancing norms (with Gunnar Björnsson).
A paper on agent-regret and counterfactuals.
A paper on the possibility of mental wronging.
A paper on the nature and wrong of degradation.
A paper on the currency of distributive justice (with Gunnar Björnsson).
A paper on the affecting condition for wronging.
Presentations
ScheduledLSE Moral and Political Philosophy SeminarInvited
ScheduledLinköping Workshop on DehumanisationInvited
ScheduledStockholm Higher Seminar in Practical Philosophy
ScheduledOxford Studies in Agency & ResponsibilityPeer-reviewed
2026Swedish Congress of PhilosophyPeer-reviewed
2026VU Moral and Political Philosophy ColloquiumInvited
2026Bern Moral Philosophy SeminarInvited
2026Utrecht Ethics Institute Colloquium
2026Central APA, Symposium SessionPeer-reviewed
2026Mannheim Workshop: New Ideas on NormativityPeer-reviewed
2025Philosophy, Ethics and Killing WorkshopInvited
2025Utrecht Workshop on Degradation and Dehumanisation
2025Lund Workshop on PraiseInvited
2025Society for Applied Philosophy Annual ConferencePeer-reviewed
2025BSET Annual ConferencePeer-reviewed
2025SWIP Panel, Joint Session of the Aristotelian Society and Mind AssociationPeer-reviewed
2024MANCEPT: Setting Things Right
2024Dutch Research School in Philosophy Annual ConferencePeer-reviewed
2024UvA Philosophy & Public Affairs ColloquiumInvited
2024KCL Moral and Political Philosophy Research SeminarInvited
2024Erasmus Institute for Philosophy & Economics SeminarInvited
2024Leeds Centre for Aesthetic, Moral, and Political Philosophy SeminarInvited
2023Utrecht Philosophy Lunch Lecture
2023Tilburg Practical Philosophy SeminarInvited
2023Society for Applied Philosophy Annual ConferencePeer-reviewed
2022Stockholm Higher Seminar in Practical PhilosophyInvited
2022Lund-Gothenburg Responsibility Project SeminarInvited
2022The Political Role of the Moral Emotions ConferencePeer-reviewed
2022Arizona Workshop in Normative Ethics / Oxford Studies in Normative EthicsPeer-reviewed
2022Gothenburg Research Seminar in Practical PhilosophyInvited
2022LMU Munich Research Colloquium in Practical PhilosophyInvited
2022Utrecht Ethics Institute Colloquium
2022Philosophy, Ethics and Killing WorkshopInvited
2021KCL Graduate Conference in Politics, Philosophy & LawPeer-reviewed
2021SCEWP Workshop on Gratitude
2021Philosophy, Ethics and Killing WorkshopInvited
2021Postgraduate Session, Joint Session of the Aristotelian Society and Mind AssociationPeer-reviewed
2021Uppsala Higher Seminar in Practical PhilosophyInvited
2021Lund Higher Seminar in Practical PhilosophyInvited
2021Umeå Research Seminar in Practical PhilosophyInvited
2021Stockholm Higher Seminar in Practical PhilosophyInvited
2021Varieties of Moral Address Workshop: Agency, Authority and ResponsibilityPeer-reviewed
2021APA Pacific Division MeetingPeer-reviewed
2021Philosophy, Ethics and Killing WorkshopInvited
2020Lund-Gothenburg Responsibility Project SeminarInvited
2019Pavia Graduate Conference in Political PhilosophyPeer-reviewed
2019SCEWP Annual Graduate and Early Career Reading Retreat
2019Society for Applied Philosophy Annual ConferencePeer-reviewed
2019Swedish Congress of PhilosophyPeer-reviewed
2019REAPP Graduate/Early Career ConferencePeer-reviewed
2018LSE Political Theory Graduate ConferencePeer-reviewed
2018St. Andrews CEPPA Graduate ConferencePeer-reviewed
2017Oxford Uehiro Prize in Practical Ethics finalist presentationPeer-reviewed
Invited commentaries
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
Tutorial: MacKinnon's A Feminist Theory of the State2026Graduate
Topics in Ethical Theory: Blame2025Graduate
Normative Ethics2025, 2024, 2023Undergraduate
Political and Social Philosophy2025, 2023Undergraduate
Topics in Moral Psychology: Emotion2024Graduate
Core Seminar: The Active Mind2023 (×2)Graduate
Contemporary Political Philosophy2023Undergraduate
Emotions2023Undergraduate
Introduction to Political Philosophy2020Undergraduate
Global Ethics2020Open to all levels
The Ethics of War2019Graduate
Seminar Convenor
Introduction to Normative Ethics2022Undergraduate
Ancient Philosophy2015, 2014Undergraduate
Medieval and Early Modern Philosophy2014Undergraduate
Guest Lecture
Guest lecture & seminar on moral contractualism2022Undergraduate
Supervision
BA Philosophy theses (×12)
MA Applied Ethics theses (×10)
BA Liberal Arts & Sciences thesis (×1)
RMA Philosophy thesis (×1)
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 & impact student assistant (x1)
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- Chair of the examination board for the BA Language and Culture Studies and BA Liberal Arts and Sciences, Utrecht University
2025– 'Core teacher' in the BA Language and Culture Studies, Utrecht University
2024–2026 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
2026- Outreach & impact co-coordinator
Reviewer Noûs (3×), Oxford Studies in Normative Ethics (entire volume), Philosophy, Journal of the American Philosophical Association, Journal of Ethics and Social Philosophy, Philosophia