Professor of Political Theory and Ethics

Email: K dot D dot Hyams at warwick dot ac dot uk
Room: E2.22

I am a philosopher with an interest in the use of methods from moral and political philosophy to contribute to interdisciplinary research on technological, environmental, health and social challenges. I joined Warwick in 2014, where I lead projects within the Interdisciplinary Ethics Research GroupLink opens in a new window.

Ongoing research includes work on AI and democracy, health and pandemic ethics, climate ethics, Indigenous Peoples, and motivation in democratic design. My previous research focused on the philosophy of equality and fairness, particularly in respect of distributions of risk. I have also published on the ethics of consent, on carbon offsetting and carbon quotas, and on political authority. My research has been funded by Horizon Europe, GCRF, Newton, AHRC, ESRC, EPSRC, Leverhulme, and the British Academy. My research on justice and risk was awarded the Inaugural Sanders Prize in Political Philosophy in 2015.

My policy work includes advising a broad range of UK and international NGOs and government bodies, including the UK Cabinet Office and the City of Cape Town Adaptation and Resilience Unit. In 2020 I was awarded the International Society for Environmental Ethics Andrew Light Prize for Public Philosophy for policy engagement. I am a member of the Strategic Advisory Group for the UKRI Global Challenges Research Fund, and a member of the Expert Advisory Group on Safeguarding for the UK Collaborative on Development Research.

I have a BA in psychology and philosophy, and a BPhil and DPhil in philosophy (Oxford). Before joining Warwick, I was a Lecturer in Political Theory at the Universities of Exeter and Reading. I have held visiting positions at the University of Toronto, the University of Louvain, and the University of Oxford.