ELI BENJAMIN

I'm Eli Benjamin Israel, a philosopher working on ethics, moral psychology, social and feminist philosophy. When in the right mood, I also play with Kant.
My current research focuses on the normativity of trust and consent within interpersonal relationships — you can learn more about my work here.

I'm doing my Ph.D. at Temple University and currently I serve as chair of the APA's Graduate Student Council. In addition, I am affiliated with several research projects and networks, including the Center for Positive Sexuality, the Ethical Dating Online Network, and the Liberalism Rekindled Research Project.

Before joining Temple, I did my M.A. and B.A. in Philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Curriculum Vitae

>> News

I was awarded a fellowship from the Institute for Humane Studies to support the writing of my paper "Breaking Trust: Disappointment and Betrayal as Relational Attitudes."
I have been awarded the 2024 Marcus Herz Prize from the North American Kant Society for my paper "Kant on Moral Trust" (now titled "A Kantian Account of Moral Trust." The paper is also now forthcoming in Kantian Review.
I'm honored to receive the Nordev Prize for Best Preliminary Paper from Temple University's Department of Philosophy.
I have been elected chair of the American Philosophical Association's Graduate Student Council, beginning my term in July 2024.
I was recently highlighted in the “New Work in Philosophy” Substack, introducing my recent work on sexual consent. You can read my introduction and get a link to the full paper through this link.
I'm honored to be the inaugural recipient of the Temple University Philosophy Department Service Award, following two consecutive terms as the graduate student representative.
I was featured in the final 'Why Philosophy?' interview of the spring. Read the interview on Substack and Daily Nous!

>> Research

>> Recent and Upcoming Talks

June 2024 “Participant Trust” // David Enoch's Liberalism Rekindled Research Group, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Online
September 2024 “Revisiting Consent's Transformative Power” // The 5th Annual SAFI Interdisciplinary Network for Women in Legal Academia, University of Glasgow
November 2024 “Participant Trust” // 28th Oxford Graduate Philosophy Conference, University of Oxford
January 2025 Comments to “On Lying, Deception, and Using Others Merely as a Means: What Sort of Prohibition on Lying to Others Does Kant’s Formula of Humanity Support?” by Melissa Fahmy // APA Eastern Division Meeting, New York, NY
January 2025 Panel Participation on “The Philosophy of Sexual Violence” (Routledge, 2024) // APA Eastern Division Meeting, SPSL session, New York, NY
February 2025 “Participant Trust” // APA Central Division Meeting, Colloquium, Online

>> Media