Professor Ben Colburn

  • Professor of Political Philosophy (Philosophy)

telephone: 0141 330 4277
email: Ben.Colburn@glasgow.ac.uk

Room 305, 69 Oakfield Avenue, Glasgow

Import to contacts

ORCID iDhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-1416-1844

Research interests

Ben Colburn is Professor of Political Philosophy. He has worked at Glasgow since 2010, and was Head of Philosophy from 2017 to 2020. Before arriving in Glasgow he studied and worked in Cambridge, receiving his PhD in 2008, and holding a research fellowship at Corpus Christi College from 2008 to 2010.

His main research interests are in political philosophy and ethics, with a particular interest in the nature and value of autonomy and its importance in liberal political philosophy. He is currently writing on various questions in this area, and also some topics in the theory of responsibility, including coercion, vicarious responsibility, and the role of responsibility in the autonomous life.

Ben has a further interest in exploring how foundational philosophical ideas (like autonomy and responsibility) can be put to use in policy and practice. He has a number of ongoing collaborative research projects along these lines, including work on refugee education, on end of life care, and on architecture and urban design.

Publications

List by: Type | Date

Jump to: 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2008
Number of items: 28.

2024

Colburn, B. , Cholbi, M., Gill, M., Millum, J. and Pettigrove, G. (2024) Palliative Care and Assisted Dying Laws. Other. Philosophers' Consortium on Assisted Dying.

Colburn, B. (2024) Palliative care-based arguments against assisted dying. Bioethics, (Accepted for Publication)

Colburn, B. , Macpherson, F. , Brown, D. , Fearnley, L., Hodgson, C. and McDonnell, N. (2024) Policy and Practice Recommendations for Augmented and Mixed Reality. Documentation. University of Glasgow. (doi: 10.36399/gla.pubs.326686).

2023

Millum, J., Cholbi, M., Colburn, B. , Gill, M. and Pettigrove, G. (2023) Assisted dying in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand: Lessons for Scotland. Other. Philosophers' Consortium on Assisted Dying.

Colburn, B. (2023) Dramatic vignettes in moral inquiry. Social Analysis, 67(3), pp. 66-74. (doi: 10.3167/sa.2023.670305)

Colburn, B. and Johnston, B. (2023) Palliative sedation: autonomy, suffering, and euthanasia. Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care, 17(3), pp. 214-218. (doi: 10.1097/SPC.0000000000000665) (PMID:37428181)

Colburn, B. (Ed.) (2023) The Routledge Handbook of Autonomy. Routledge: Abingdon. ISBN 9780367258207

Colburn, B. (2023) The Self. In: Elsner, A. and Stern, T. (eds.) The Proustian Mind. Routledge: Abingdon, pp. 93-106. ISBN 9780367357627

2022

Colburn, B. (2022) Disability-based arguments against assisted dying laws. Bioethics, 36(6), pp. 680-686. (doi: 10.1111/bioe.13036) (PMID:35389513) (PMCID:PMC9322678)

2021

Colburn, B. (2021) Policy Briefing: Disability and Assisted Dying Laws. Other. University of Glasgow: Policy Scotland.

2020

Colburn, B. (2020) Autonomy, voluntariness, and assisted dying. Journal of Medical Ethics, 46(5), pp. 316-319. (doi: 10.1136/medethics-2019-105720) (PMID:31719156)

2018

Karyotis, G. , Colburn, B. , Doyle, L. , Hermannsson, K. , Mulvey, G. and Skleparis, D. (2018) Building a New Life in Britain: The Skills, Experiences and Aspirations of Young Syrian Refugees. Project Report. Policy Scotland, Glasgow.

2017

Clark, D. , Inbadas, H. , Colburn, B. , Forrest, C. , Richards, N. , Whitelaw, S. and Zaman, S. (2017) Interventions at the end of life – a taxonomy for ‘overlapping consensus’. Wellcome Open Research, 2, 7. (doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.10722.1) (PMID:28261674) (PMCID:PMC5336190)

2016

Colburn, B. and Lazenby, H. (2016) Hypothetical insurance and higher education. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 50(4), pp. 587-604. (doi: 10.1111/1467-9752.12163)

2015

Colburn, B. (2015) Authenticity and the third-person perspective. In: Levey, G. (ed.) Authenticity, Autonomy and Multiculturalism. Series: Routledge studies in social and political thought. Routledge: New York. ISBN 9781138845213

Colburn, B. (Ed.) (2015) Methods in Ethics: The Virtual Issue of the Aristotelian Society 3. Series: Virtual Issue. The Aristotelian Society.

Colburn, B. (2015) Methods in ethics: Introduction. In: Methods in Ethics: The Virtual Issue of the Aristotelian Society 3. Series: Virtual Issue. The Aristotelian Society, pp. 19-23.

2014

Colburn, B. (2014) Disadvantage, Autononomy, and the Continuity Test. Journal of Applied Philosophy, 31(3), pp. 254-270. (doi: 10.1111/japp.12060)

2013

Colburn, B. (2013) Autonomy and end of life decisions: a paradox. In: Räikkä, J. and Varelius, J. (eds.) Adaptation and Autonomy: Adaptive Preferences in Enhancing and Ending Life. Series: Studies in applied philosophy, epistemology and rational ethics (10). Springer: Berlin, Germany, pp. 69-80. ISBN 9783642383755 (doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-38376-2_5)

2012

Colburn, B. (2012) Responsibility and school choice in education. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 46(2), pp. 207-222. (doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9752.2012.00848.x)

Colburn, B. (2012) Autonomy-minded anti-perfectionism: novel, intuitive, and sound. Journal of Philosophical Research, 37, pp. 233-241. (doi: 10.5840/jpr20123711)

Colburn, B. (2012) In defence of comprehensive liberalism. Philosophy and Public Issues, 2, pp. 17-29.

2011

Colburn, B. (2011) Autonomy and adaptive preferences. Utilitas, 23(1), pp. 52-71. (doi: 10.1017/S0953820810000440)

2010

Colburn, B. (2010) Anti-Perfectionisms and autonomy. Analysis, 70(2), pp. 247-256. (doi: 10.1093/analys/anp171)

Colburn, B. (2010) Autonomy and Liberalism. Series: Routledge studies in contemporary philosophy, 19. Routledge. ISBN 9780415875967

2008

Colburn, B. (2008) Forbidden ways of life. Philosophical Quarterly, 58(233), pp. 618-629. (doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9213.2007.531.x)

Colburn, B. (2008) Debate: The Concept of Voluntariness. Journal of Political Philosophy, 16(1), pp. 101-111. (doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9760.2007.00272.x)

Kramer, M., Colburn, B., Hatzistavrou, A. and Grant, C. (Eds.) (2008) The legacy of H.L.A. Hart: legal, political, and moral philosophy. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199542895

This list was generated on Thu Oct 31 00:03:38 2024 GMT.
Number of items: 28.

Articles

Colburn, B. (2024) Palliative care-based arguments against assisted dying. Bioethics, (Accepted for Publication)

Colburn, B. (2023) Dramatic vignettes in moral inquiry. Social Analysis, 67(3), pp. 66-74. (doi: 10.3167/sa.2023.670305)

Colburn, B. and Johnston, B. (2023) Palliative sedation: autonomy, suffering, and euthanasia. Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care, 17(3), pp. 214-218. (doi: 10.1097/SPC.0000000000000665) (PMID:37428181)

Colburn, B. (2022) Disability-based arguments against assisted dying laws. Bioethics, 36(6), pp. 680-686. (doi: 10.1111/bioe.13036) (PMID:35389513) (PMCID:PMC9322678)

Colburn, B. (2020) Autonomy, voluntariness, and assisted dying. Journal of Medical Ethics, 46(5), pp. 316-319. (doi: 10.1136/medethics-2019-105720) (PMID:31719156)

Clark, D. , Inbadas, H. , Colburn, B. , Forrest, C. , Richards, N. , Whitelaw, S. and Zaman, S. (2017) Interventions at the end of life – a taxonomy for ‘overlapping consensus’. Wellcome Open Research, 2, 7. (doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.10722.1) (PMID:28261674) (PMCID:PMC5336190)

Colburn, B. and Lazenby, H. (2016) Hypothetical insurance and higher education. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 50(4), pp. 587-604. (doi: 10.1111/1467-9752.12163)

Colburn, B. (2014) Disadvantage, Autononomy, and the Continuity Test. Journal of Applied Philosophy, 31(3), pp. 254-270. (doi: 10.1111/japp.12060)

Colburn, B. (2012) Responsibility and school choice in education. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 46(2), pp. 207-222. (doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9752.2012.00848.x)

Colburn, B. (2012) Autonomy-minded anti-perfectionism: novel, intuitive, and sound. Journal of Philosophical Research, 37, pp. 233-241. (doi: 10.5840/jpr20123711)

Colburn, B. (2012) In defence of comprehensive liberalism. Philosophy and Public Issues, 2, pp. 17-29.

Colburn, B. (2011) Autonomy and adaptive preferences. Utilitas, 23(1), pp. 52-71. (doi: 10.1017/S0953820810000440)

Colburn, B. (2010) Anti-Perfectionisms and autonomy. Analysis, 70(2), pp. 247-256. (doi: 10.1093/analys/anp171)

Colburn, B. (2008) Forbidden ways of life. Philosophical Quarterly, 58(233), pp. 618-629. (doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9213.2007.531.x)

Colburn, B. (2008) Debate: The Concept of Voluntariness. Journal of Political Philosophy, 16(1), pp. 101-111. (doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9760.2007.00272.x)

Books

Colburn, B. (2010) Autonomy and Liberalism. Series: Routledge studies in contemporary philosophy, 19. Routledge. ISBN 9780415875967

Book Sections

Colburn, B. (2023) The Self. In: Elsner, A. and Stern, T. (eds.) The Proustian Mind. Routledge: Abingdon, pp. 93-106. ISBN 9780367357627

Colburn, B. (2015) Authenticity and the third-person perspective. In: Levey, G. (ed.) Authenticity, Autonomy and Multiculturalism. Series: Routledge studies in social and political thought. Routledge: New York. ISBN 9781138845213

Colburn, B. (2015) Methods in ethics: Introduction. In: Methods in Ethics: The Virtual Issue of the Aristotelian Society 3. Series: Virtual Issue. The Aristotelian Society, pp. 19-23.

Colburn, B. (2013) Autonomy and end of life decisions: a paradox. In: Räikkä, J. and Varelius, J. (eds.) Adaptation and Autonomy: Adaptive Preferences in Enhancing and Ending Life. Series: Studies in applied philosophy, epistemology and rational ethics (10). Springer: Berlin, Germany, pp. 69-80. ISBN 9783642383755 (doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-38376-2_5)

Edited Books

Colburn, B. (Ed.) (2023) The Routledge Handbook of Autonomy. Routledge: Abingdon. ISBN 9780367258207

Colburn, B. (Ed.) (2015) Methods in Ethics: The Virtual Issue of the Aristotelian Society 3. Series: Virtual Issue. The Aristotelian Society.

Kramer, M., Colburn, B., Hatzistavrou, A. and Grant, C. (Eds.) (2008) The legacy of H.L.A. Hart: legal, political, and moral philosophy. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199542895

Research Reports or Papers

Colburn, B. , Cholbi, M., Gill, M., Millum, J. and Pettigrove, G. (2024) Palliative Care and Assisted Dying Laws. Other. Philosophers' Consortium on Assisted Dying.

Colburn, B. , Macpherson, F. , Brown, D. , Fearnley, L., Hodgson, C. and McDonnell, N. (2024) Policy and Practice Recommendations for Augmented and Mixed Reality. Documentation. University of Glasgow. (doi: 10.36399/gla.pubs.326686).

Millum, J., Cholbi, M., Colburn, B. , Gill, M. and Pettigrove, G. (2023) Assisted dying in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand: Lessons for Scotland. Other. Philosophers' Consortium on Assisted Dying.

Colburn, B. (2021) Policy Briefing: Disability and Assisted Dying Laws. Other. University of Glasgow: Policy Scotland.

Karyotis, G. , Colburn, B. , Doyle, L. , Hermannsson, K. , Mulvey, G. and Skleparis, D. (2018) Building a New Life in Britain: The Skills, Experiences and Aspirations of Young Syrian Refugees. Project Report. Policy Scotland, Glasgow.

This list was generated on Thu Oct 31 00:03:38 2024 GMT.

Supervision

Ben has supervised students working within political philosophy, ethics, and nearby fields. Specific topics have included neutrality, the philosophy of education, egalitarianism, multiculturalism, political economy, decision theory, and applied ethics.

He is happy to supervise doctoral work in most areas of political philosophy, and in many areas of ethics. Prospective students should drop him a line.

Current PhD students:

  • Acar, Hatice
    Priority View in Human Rights
  • Angelici, Victoria
    As You Wish: On the Moral Duty to Come Out
  • Ding, Yiheng
    Freedom and the ethics of nudge - a moral assessment
  • Hodgson, Calum
    Answering Formal and Substantial Paradoxes of Democracy.
  • Nunziante, Allison
    Paternalistic Interferences to Personal Bodily Autonomy
  • Quinn, Michael
    What are the pedagogical possibilities of engaging with speculative fiction to teach philosophical concepts?
  • Stollard, Sorley
    An Analysis of Theories of Ownership
  • MacDougall, Graham
    An Epistemic Theory of State Duties and Political Legitimacy
  • Acar, Hatice
    The Priority View in Human Rights
  • Gopal, William
    Poiesis and Virtual Epistemology: towards the virtuous design and use of digital technologies for epistemic purposes
  • Nunziante, Allison
    Bodily Autonomy and Reproductive Rights
  • Quinn, Michael
    Using Engagement with Speculative Fiction to Teach Philosophical Concepts

Completed PhD students:

  • Carole Baillie (2015) Revealing the Multiculturalist's Illusion: A Liberal Critique
  • James Humphries (2016) Authority, Autonomy and Anarchy
  • Catherine Robb (2017) The Nature and Value of Talent
  • Patrick Kaczmarek (2017) A Fairness Based Astronomical Waste Argument
  • Frodo Podschwadek (2018) Rawlsian Liberalism and Public Education
  • Daniel Abrahams (2020) A philosophical approach to satire and humour in social context.
  • Ewan Burns (2020) Conservatism: towards a traditionalist moral and political epistemology
  • Philipp Dapprich (2020) The philosophical basis of a socialist planned economy
  • Maria Pia Mendez (2020) Self-authorship in the political sphere: Collective self-government and autonomy
  • Luke Armstrong (2021) Autonomy in Political Liberalism
  • Imants Latkovskis (2021) Capabilities, Autonomy, and Education: a comprehensive anti-perfectionist capability approach to justice

Teaching

Ben is on sabbatical leave in 2020-21. He usually teaches a combination of courses in ethics, political philosophy and the history of philosophy.

Additional information

Ben is Secretary of the Analysis Trust, and sits on the executive committee of the Mind Association and the editorial board of The Philosophical Quarterly. He is a member of the Glasgow End of Life Studies Group, of the Glasgow Law and Philosophy Network, and the Cross-Party Group on End of Life Choices at the Scottish Parliament.