I'm Eli Benjamin, a philosophy Ph.D. student at Temple University working on ethics, moral psychology and Kant's practical philosophy. 
 Before joining Temple, I earned my M.A. and B.A. in the Department of Philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

I'm interested on the nature of autonomy and agency, and on how we can confidently align our actions with our will. In my doctoral dissertation, I argue for the significance of trust for valid consent and explore how trust may be justified in both contractual and non-contractual settings. I address similar questions on my work on Kant,  and also explore how aesthetic experiences can contribute to our moral lives.
>>     In the Spotlight
  • Interview: Had a blast talking with Lex LaBar for the American Philosophical Association blog (APA Blog)! We talked about my work on sexual consent, why Bertrand Russell is the coolest person, and how real-life stuff – from friendships to everyday moral dilemmas – lights up some of the most interesting philosophical questions.
    Guest Post: I recently reflected here, at the Blog of the American Philosophical Association, on our graduate student strike at Temple University and its impact on our philosophical community.
  • Podcasts:
    -     Check out my episode of The Philosopher's Nest Podcast as I discuss my research on Kant and the sublime, alongside insights into interdisciplinary public philosophy with Kyle Van Oosterum and Lewis Williams (Philosophy, Oxford).​​​​
    - Tune in to my conversation with Dani Reches on the "What are YOU going to do with THAT?" Podcast (Minerva Institute, Haifa University), where we delve into the value of autonomy in sexual relationships and explore my academic journey as an international graduate student.

>>     Recent and Upcoming Talks
  • February 2023 Desires, Salience and Motivational Impact
    - Workshop on Practical Mental Representations; Chapman University (Orange, CA)
  • April 2023 Immortality Made Possible: Revisiting Kant's Postulate of Immortality
    - W. H. Werkmeister and Southern North American Kant Society Study Group Conference; Florida State University (virtual)
  • July 2023 Caring for Valid Sexual Consent
    - The 4th Munich Graduate Conference in Ethics; LMU-Munich (Munich, Germany)
  • July 2023   Immortality Made Possible: The Practical Role of Kant's Dynamic Sublime
    - 22nd International Congress of Aesthetics; Federal University of Minas Gerais (Belo Horizonte, Brazil)
  • January 2024   Caring for Valid Sexual Consent
    - The Society for the Philosophy of Sex & Love, APA Eastern Division Meeting (New York City, NY)



​© Eli Benjamin Israel 2023