Katharina Nieswandt, PhD
Associate Professor, Philosophy
ON RESEARCH LEAVE

Office: |
S-S 210
S Annex, 2145 Mackay |
Phone: | (514) 848-2424 ext. 2508 |
Email: | katharina.nieswandt@concordia.ca |
Website(s): |
PhilPapers ORCID |
Availability: |
On sabbatical for the academic year 2022--2023. |
Areas of Specialization
Metaethics; political theory; normative ethics
Education
Postdoc: Stanford University, Center for Ethics in Society, 2016
PhD (Philosophy): University of Pittsburgh, 2015
Magister Artium (Philosophy): Universität Trier, 2009
Diplom (Psychology): Universität Trier, 2008
Research activities
Current Topics
Prof. Nieswandt's current research investigates the relations between (1) personal and common good, (2) personal happiness and a good character, and (3) moral and social norms.
In addition, she is leading a quantitative study on the under-representation of women in philosophy. (Read a summary of the results here, and an interview about them here.)
Works in Progress or under Review
- The Good Life and the Good State (draft monograph)
- "Instrumental Rationality in the Social Sciences" (draft paper)
- "What Explains the Gender Gap in Philosophy versus Psychology?" (series of empirical surveys, with Heather Maranges, Ulf Hlobil and Kristen Dunfield )
- "Revolutionary Virtues?" (presentation, with Ulf Hlobil)
Publications
Articles in Double-Blind Peer-Review Journals
Katharina Nieswandt (2016): Do Rights Exist by Convention or by Nature? Topoi 35(1): 313–325.
Ulf Hlobil and Katharina Nieswandt (2016): On Anscombe’s Philosophical Method. Klēsis: Revue Philosophique 35: 180–198. REPRINT in: John Haldane (ed.) (forthcoming): The Life and Philosophy of Elizabeth Anscombe (St. Andrews Studies in Philosophy). Imprint Academic: Exeter, 42–61.
Edited Books
Katharina Nieswandt & Ulf Hlobil (eds.) (2014). G.E.M. Anscombe: Aufsätze. Herausgegeben, übersetzt und mit einer Lektürehilfe von Katharina Nieswandt und Ulf Hlobil. Nachwort von Anselm W. Müller. [Papers. Edited, translated and with a study guide by KN and UH. With an afterword by AWM.] Suhrkamp, Berlin: 400 pages.
REVIEWS by: Dominik Perler (in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung) and by Christian Kietzmann (in Philosophische Rundschau).
Articles in Editor-Reviewed Books
Katharina Nieswandt (2017): Grammatik und Funktion: Peter Geach. In: Martin Hähnel (ed.): Der aristotelische Naturalismus: Ein Handbuch. Metzler: Stuttgart, 163–174. ENGLISH TRANSLATION in: Martin Hähnel (ed.) (2020) Aristotelian Naturalism: A Research Companion. Springer, Dordrecht: 183–193.
Book Reviews
Popular Press
Research networks
Groupe de recherche sur la normativité
GRIN, director of axis "Society"
Action Network
Hosted at FAGI, Leipzig, member.
Teaching
Regularly taught classes
Please note that the syllabi below are for information purposes only; they are not necessarily the most recent version. The version that is binding for enrolled students is available through Moodle.
- Introductory lecture
- PHIL 232
- Syllabus
- Introductory lecture
- PHIL 241
- Syllabus
- Advanced Seminar
- PHIL 498/530/633
- Syllabus
Graduate seminar
Advanced Studies in Value Theory
- Advanced Seminar
- Most years, the course number is PHIL 430/621.
- The topic changes every year and is usually related to Prof. Nieswandt's current research.
- Past topics include: "Property Rights" and "Anscombe's Moral Philosophy."
- The department's course offerings website lists a description of the current topic.
Supervision
Master and Postdoctorate
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If you would like to pursue an MA at Concordia, please apply to the program. Admission and funding allocation happen through the philosophy graduate studies committee, not individual supervisors. For questions, please contact the program director at philosophy.gpd@concordia.ca.
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If you would like to carry out a funded postdoctoral project under Prof. Nieswandt's supervision, you can apply to one of the annual GRIN openings. Appointment happens through the steering committee, not individual supervisors. In the rare case that Prof. Nieswandt hires a postdoc for one of her own projects, this opening is advertised on PhilJobs.
- If you submit an application for a postdoc funding scheme for individuals, such as Banting, and you would like Prof. Nieswandt to be your faculty co-applicant, please email your pitch.
Doctorate
Concordia's philosophy department does not offer a doctoral program, and professors do not individually hire doctoral students. Prof. Nieswandt does not standardly supervise students in Concordia's Humanities PhD program.