Research Areas

Department Research Areas

• Research Ethics

John William is Project Co-ordinator for the Fell Fund supported Oxford Bioethics Network project 'Developing a Strategic Plan for Ethics Provision at the University of Oxford'. This role encompasses two dimensions. Firstly, it involves gathering information about the current ethics teaching and research provision throughout the University, investigating how the existing provision might usefully be improved and implementing a plan that will narrow that gap between current and optimal provision. Secondly, it involves conducting philosophical research into ethical issues that arise in the university setting. As part of this second dimension, John William is currently investigating the possibility of moral expertise and the ethics of financial donations to universities.

John William completed a DPhil in Political Theory at New College, Oxford with a thesis entitled 'Challenges to Virtue in Political Office'. This work developed an account of the difficulty of cultivating and maintaining the virtues necessary for responsible political leadership in modern liberal democracies. Prior to his arrival at Oxford, John William completed an MPhil in Philosophy at King's College, Cambridge and a BA in Philosophy and Politics at University College Dublin. His research interests focus on contemporary political philosophy and political ethics as well as a variety of practical ethical issues in sport and education.