Dr. Charlie Thomas Blunden / CV
PhD Philosophy
c.blunden.phi@gmail.com
cblunden@ifzg.hr
PhilPeople
Research areas
AOS: Philosophy of moral progress and moral change, Political and social philosophy
AOC: Normative ethics, Metaethics, Business ethics
Academic positions
2025- Senior Assistant (Postdoctoral researcher), Institute of Philosophy, Zagreb
2020-2024 PhD Researcher, Utrecht University
Education
2020-2025
PhD in Philosophy
Utrecht University
Dissertation: Moral Prosperity: Basic, Instrumental, and Vindicated Moral Progress (Available online.)
Supervisors: Hanno Sauer, Joel Anderson
Committee: Daniel Cohnitz, Ibo van de Poel, Annemarie Kalis, Joseph Heath, Nicholas Smyth
2017-2019
Research Master (MA) in Philosophy
Utrecht University
Graduated cum laude (highest possible distinction)
Master’s Thesis: ‘Brace Yourself: Prospects and Problems for Improving the Mental Environment’
2017-2018
Graduate Honours Interdisciplinary Seminars (Honours Degree)
Utrecht University
Completed, diploma received: Highest score for final project
Publications
Forthcoming
‘A Vindication of the Value of ‘Choice’.’ Inquiry, online first. https://doi.org/10.1080/0020174X.2025.2549731
(with Paul Rehren) ‘The ‘Who,’ ‘What,’ and ‘When’ of Moral Progress.’ Australasian Journal of Philosophy. Pre-print: https://philpapers.org/go.pl?aid=REHTWW
2025
(with Jon Rueda and Viktor Ivanković) ‘A cautiously optimistic view on large language model use against linguistic injustice in academia.’ Nature Machine Intelligence, Correspondence. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42256-025-01138-z
‘It’s Only Natural! Moral Progress through Denaturalization.’ Journal of Ethics and Social Philosophy, 29 (2): 219-48. https://doi.org/10.26556/jesp.v29i2.3316
(with Benedict Lane) “Vindicating Universalism: Pragmatic Genealogy and Moral Progress.” European Journal of Philosophy, 33 (1): 249-268. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejop.12975
(with Jeroen Hopster, Chirag Arora, Cecilie Eriksen, Lily Frank, Julia Hermann, Michael Klenk, Elizabeth O’Neill, and Steffen Steinert) “Pistols, Pills, Pork and Ploughs: The Structure of Technomoral Revolutions.” Inquiry, 68 (2): 264-96. https://doi.org/10.1080/0020174X.2022.2090434
2024
(with Paul Rehren) “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves: we have no idea if moral reasoning causes moral progress.” Philosophical Explorations, 27 (3): 351-369. https://doi.org/10.1080/13869795.2024.2363876
2023
(with Paul Rehren and Hanno Sauer) “Implicit Cognition, Dual Process Theory, and Moral Judgment.” pp. 105-15 in J. Robert Thompson (ed.), Routledge Handbook of Philosophy and Implicit
Cognition, Routledge: Abingdon.
2022
(with Michael Klenk, Elizabeth O’Neill, Chirag Arora, Jeroen Hopster, Cecilie Eriksen, and Lily Frank) “Recent Work on Moral Revolutions.” Analysis Reviews, 82 (2): 354-366. https://doi.org/10.1093/analys/anac017
“Between Market Failures and Justice Failures: Trade-Offs Between Efficiency and Equality in Business Ethics.” Journal of Business Ethics, 178 (3): 647-660. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-
021-04767-7
2021
(with Hanno Sauer, Cecilie Eriksen, and Paul Rehren) “Moral progress: Recent developments.” Philosophy Compass, 16 (10): 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1111/phc3.12769
2019
“Libertarianism and collective action: is there a libertarian case for mandatory vaccination?” Journal of Medical Ethics, 45: 71-74. https://doi.org/10.1136/medethics-2018-104752
Papers in progress / under review
(with Hanno Sauer) ‘The Connections.’ R&R at Philosophical Explorations
‘Why Not Georgism? A Pluralist Case for Land Value Taxes.’ Paper in progress.
(with Benedict Lane) ‘The Cultural Evolution of Hinge Certainties.’ Paper in progress.
Academic presentations
2025
‘The Fact of Progress? Pluralism, Liberalism, and Cooperation.’ Zagreb Applied Ethics Conference, Sept 25th
2024
‘Vindication and the value of ‘Choice”. Rethinking Ethics – Reimagining Technology ESDiT / 4.TU Ethics Conference, University of Twente, Oct 3rd
(with Benedict Lane) ‘Vindicating Universalism: Pragmatic Genealogy and Moral Progress.’
Ethics Institute Colloquium, Utrecht University, February 27th
2023
(with Benedict Lane) ‘Vindicating Universalism: Pragmatic Genealogy and Moral Progress.’
MANCEPT Workshop, Causal Histories: The Role of Genealogical Inquiry in Moral, Social and Political Philosophy. University of Manchester, Sept 12th
‘It’s Only Natural! Moral Progress Through Denaturalisation.’ SOPhiA Conference, University of Salzburg, Sept 8th
(with Paul Rehren) ‘Doing Empirical Philosophy: Two Anecdotes and Some General Lessons.’ Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technologies (ESDiT) Workshop on Engaging with Empirical Studies as a Philosopher, May 24th
‘The De-Naturalisation Mechanism: Conventionality, Status-Quo Bias, and Moral Progress.’ IV Geneva Graduate Conference in Political Philosophy (GECOPOL), University of Geneva, February 16th-17th
(with Paul Rehren) ‘Can Moral Reasoning Explain Moral Progress?’ Ethics Institute Colloquium, Utrecht University, January 24th
2022
‘The De-Naturalisation Mechanism: Conventionality, Status-Quo Bias, and Moral Progress.’
3rd Practical Philosophy Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Researcher Conference (Online), Society for Practical Philosophy Turkey, December 9th-10th (Accepted for presentation but did not attend due to recent bereavement.)
‘There Is Some Alternative: Conventionality, Status-Quo Bias, and Moral Progress.’ German Analytic Philosophy Conference (GAP.11), Humboldt University of Berlin, September 13th (Accepted for presentation, but unable to attend due to clash with research visit to University of Toronto.)
‘Are Our Moral Progress Judgements WEIRD, and Is It a Problem?’ Utrecht Philosophy Graduate Conference, University of Utrecht, May 12th (Accepted for presentation but unable to attend due to family health emergency.)
‘Brace Yourself: Can We Improve the Cognitive Environment of Democratic Politics?’ 11th Annual Workshop in Applied Ethics and Public Policy, Bowling Green State University, April 1st (Accepted for presentation, but unable to attend due to COVID.)
‘There Is Some Alternative: Conventionality, Status-Quo Bias, and Moral Progress.’ History of Philosophy Colloquium, Utrecht University, February 17th
2021
‘Brace Yourself: Can We Improve the Cognitive Environment of Democratic Politics?’ Amsterdam Graduate Conference in Political Theory, University of Amsterdam, Dec 6th
(with Paul Rehren) ‘How Do We Know If It’s Moral Progress?’ OZSW Conference, University of Tilburg, Dec 3rd
‘Brace Yourself: Can We Improve the Cognitive Environment of Democratic Politics?’ OZSW Conference, University of Tilburg, Dec 3rd
(with Paul Rehren, Cecilie Eriksen, & Hanno Sauer) ‘How Do We Know If It’s Moral Progress?’ Ethics Institute Colloquium, Utrecht University, June 8th
2018
‘Libertarianism and collective action: is there a libertarian case for mandatory vaccination?’ SOPhiA Conference, University of Salzburg, Sept 14th
Public presentations
2018
‘Evolution, Realism, and Ethics: Assessing the Darwinian Dilemma’ Presented to the Manchester Philosophy Group, Nov 6th
Teaching
Utrecht University
2024
Ethical and Political Implications of Human Nature Weekly seminar (BA level), Sole responsibility for seminar, Responsibility for grading mid-term exams and final papers, ~20 students
2022
Ethical and Political Implications of Human Nature Weekly seminar (BA level), Sole responsibility for seminar, Responsibility for grading mid-term exams and final papers, ~20
students
2021/22
Knowledge, Ignorance and Democracy Weekly seminar (MA level), Teaching assistant, ~8 students
Service
Editor for ‘Moral Progress’ category on PhilPapers
(https://philpapers.org/browse/moral-progress)
Peer review for:
Social Theory and Practice (2023)
Philosophical Psychology (2024)
Philosophical Studies (2024, 2025)
Mind and Society (2025)
Analysis (2025)
Administrative experience
Utrecht University
2022/23
‘Back to the Office’ Workgroup. Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, workgroup
concerned with accommodating the enlarged department in the department building when increased numbers of staff started working at the office as COVID restrictions were relaxed, and with preparing the department for a move to temporary accommodation during future renovations. I was the representative of PhDs and PostDocs – my main task was to gather opinions and feedback from this group and relay it to the workgroup.
Outreach
2021
Vindicating Moral Progress? Blog of the APA. Published: Sept 6th, https://blog.apaonline.org/2021/09/06/vindicating-moralprogress/
Fellowships
2017-2019
Bright Minds Fellowship
Utrecht University and the Utrecht University Fund
Internships
2018-2019
Book Project: Human Rights in Western and Chinese traditions Reviewing chapters of a forthcoming academic book, checking spelling, grammar, and argument.
References
Hanno Sauer
Utrecht University
Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
Janskerkhof 13
3512 BL Utrecht
The Netherlands
h.c.sauer@uu.nl
Joseph Heath
University of Toronto
Department of Philosophy
15 King’s College Circle
Toronto
ON M5S 3H7
joseph.heath@utoronto.ca