Penn has special strengths in practical philosophy. This includes normative ethics, metaethics, political philosophy, and the philosophy of law.

Faculty who specialize in normative ethics include Cristina Bicchieri, Sukaina Hirji, Daniele Lorenzini, Errol Lord, Jennifer Morton, Carlos Santana, Kok-Chor Tan, and Daniel Wodak. Cristina Bicchieri examines social norms from a game-theoretical perspective. Sukaina Hirji works on questions about agency, oppression, the aptness of anger, and double binds. Daniele Lorenzini focuses on work in the history of ethics, including work by Michel Foucault and Frantz Fanon. Errol Lord works on the justification of partiality and the interaction of prudence and morality; he also works on the Strawsonian reactive attitudes, like love and respect. Jennifer Morton focuses on the ethics of agency in oppressive circumstances and on practical reasoning. Carlos Santana has worked on ethical questions, including the ethics of hypocrisy. Kok-Chor Tan has worked on the permissibility of partiality. And Daniel Wodak’s work includes work on discrimination, pronouns, and well-being.

Faculty who specialize in metaethics include Errol Lord, Daniel J. Singer, and Daniel Wodak. Errol Lord works on the nature of reasons and rationality and the place of normative reasons in the metaphysics of normativity. Daniel J. Singer focuses on how to develop constructivist theories of normativity and the is/ought gap. Daniel Wodak works on reasons, error theory, and quietism.

Faculty who specialize in political philosophy include Brian Berkey, Daniele Lorenzini, Carlos Santana, Kok-Chor Tan, and Daniel Wodak. Brian Berkey focuses on questions at the intersection of political philosophy and business ethics, including the permissibility of exploitation and the role of corporations in political philosophy. Daniele Lorenzini takes a historical approach to political philosophy, studying oppression and injustice through Michel Foucault and Frantz Fanon. Carlos Santana works on issues in political philosophy, such as the use of dog whistles. Kok-Chor Tan focuses on issues of global justice, human rights, and multiculturalism. And Daniel Wodak’s work focuses on democracy, voting, and apportionment.

Daniel Wodak also specializes in the philosophy of law. In addition, colleagues from the Law School contribute to our offerings in legal philosophy, and they participate in different ways with the PhD/JD Program. Among their many interests within legal philosophy, Claire Finkelstein works on various aspects of criminal law and Hobbes, Stephen Perry works on the relationship between legal and moral responsibility and the nature of authority, and Mitchell Berman works on constitutional theory, the philosophy of criminal law, and general jurisprudence (along with the philosophy of sports). 

Our associated faculty also work on many issues in business ethics and bioethics. Brian Berkey, Sophie Gibert, Julian Jonker, and Amy Sepinwall, all of whom are appointed in the Wharton School, address various issues at the intersection of business ethics and moral and political philosophy. Moreover, Ezekiel J. Emanuel and Dominic A. Sisti work on diverse topics in bioethics.