Dr. Farbod Akhlaghi
Assistant Professor, Philosophy
Biography
I am an Assistant Professor in Moral Philosophy at Trinity. Before this, I was Stipendiary Junior Research Fellow in Philosophy at Christ's College, University of Cambridge (2021-2024), and a Visiting Research Fellow at Trinity (2023-2024). In May 2024, I was also Caroline Miles Visiting Scholar at the Ethox Centre, University of Oxford. I read for my DPhil (PhD) in Philosophy at the University of Oxford, at Oriel College (2017-2020) and St Anne's College (2020-2021), supervised by Prof Roger Crisp and Prof Timothy Williamson. I received my MPhil in Philosophy from the University of Cambridge (2016-2017), an MLitt in Philosophy from the University of St Andrews and Stirling Philosophy Graduate Programme (2015-2016), and a BA (Hons) in Philosophy from the University of Reading (2012-2015). I also hold a PhD by Incorporation from the University of Cambridge. I am a 'third-culture kid', born in the UK to British parents of Persian/Bakhtiari ancestry, and raised across the UK, South Africa, and throughout the Middle East.
Publications and Further Research Outputs
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Farbod Akhlaghi, Avicenna's 'Proof' for the Existence of God, 1000-Word Philosophy, 2025, p1 - 7
Farbod Akhlaghi, Divinely Prescribed Evil and Moral Knowledge in Islam and Beyond, Agatheos: European Journal for Philosophy of Religion, 2, (3), 2025, p34 - 51
Farbod Akhlaghi, Pragmatist Quietism: A Meta-Ethical System by Andrew Sepielli, Review of Pragmatist Quietism: A Meta-Ethical System, by Andrew Sepielli , The Philosophical Quarterly, 2025, p1-4
Meta-Ethical Quietism? Wittgenstein, Relaxed Realism, and Countercultures in Meta-Ethics in, editor(s)Beale, J. & Cosker-Rowland, R. , Wittgenstein and Contemporary Moral Philosophy, Routledge, 2024, [Farbod Akhlaghi]
Farbod Akhlaghi, How are Ethical Theories Explanatory?, Synthese, 204, (136), 2024
Farbod Akhlaghi, The Problems of Creeping Minimalism, Philosophy, 98, (3), 2023, p327 - 343
Farbod Akhlaghi, Transformative Experience and the Right to Revelatory Autonomy, Analysis, 2023, p3 - 12
Farbod Akhlaghi, Non-Realist Cognitivism, Truthmaking, and Ontological Cheating, Ethics, 132, (2), 2022, p291 - 321
Farbod Akhlaghi, Does the Unity of Grounding Matter?, Mind, 131, (523), 2022, p828 - 837
Farbod Akhlaghi, On the Possibility of Wholesale Moral Error, Ratio, 34, (3), 2021, p236 - 247
Farbod Akhlaghi, On Moral Obligations and Our Chances of Fulfilling Them, Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, 23, 2020, p625 - 638
Farbod Akhlaghi-Ghaffarokh, Existence, Mathematical Nominalism, and Meta-Ontology: An Objection to Azzouni on Criteria for Existence, Philosophia Mathematica, 26, (2), 2018, p251 - 265
Non-Peer-Reviewed Publications
Farbod Akhlaghi, Review of On What Matters: Volume Three, by Derek Parfit , Journal of Moral Philosophy, 20, (1-2), 2023, p166-170
Research Expertise
Description
My primary research spans moral philosophy, (meta-)metaphysics, and their intersections. My current research focusses upon the metaphysics of morality and normativity, with a focus on how thinking about what metaphysics is and how it should be done can inform contemporary moral metaphysics; and the ethics of transformative experience and, more generally, hard or difficult choices we face in our lives. I am increasingly thinking about the nature and norms of inquiry, advice-giving, attention, narrative, perspectives, and their relationship to my other interests; about the philosophy of religion (especially problems of evil); and about the philosophy and ethics of culture. I have a broad range of other interests that include the history of philosophy (esp. 18th-20th C. British moral philosophy and Classical Islamic philosophy), the philosophy and ethics of psychotherapy, journalism, travel, and more generally in epistemology, political philosophy, and meta-philosophy.Recognition
Representations
Elected Member of the Committee of the Analysis Trust
Awards and Honours
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) by Incorporation, Christ's College, University of Cambridge
Caroline Miles Visiting Scholarship, Ethox Centre, University of Oxford
Faculty of Philosophy Nominee for the inaugural Berggruen Prize for Best DPhil Thesis in Philosophy, Politics, or Law, University of Oxford
Graduate Development Scholarship, St Anne's College, Oxford
Aristotelian Society Bursary
Royal Institute of Philosophy Jacobsen Studentship (Unable to accept due to other funding)
Full Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Studentship, University of Oxford
Anniversary PhD Scholarship, University of Reading (Declined)
University Prize Scholarship, University of Sheffield (Declined)
Darwin Philosophy Studentship, Darwin College, Cambridge
Deans' List for Academic Excellence, University of St Andrews
Faculty of Arts and Humanities TPG Research-Based Learning Prize, University of Stirling
Philosophical Quarterly Bursary, University of St Andrews
Philosophy Department Prize, University of Reading
Chancellor's Award, University of Reading
Laurie Brain Book Prize, University of Reading
Reading Experience and Development Award
Memberships
Elected Member of the Committee of The Analysis Trust
Lifetime Member of the Aristotelian Society
Member of the Royal Institute of Philosophy