Emma Atherton is a PhD candidate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT), originally from Australia. (She did undergrad and honors at Melbourne University). She now works primarily with Sally Haslanger. Tamar Schipiro and Miranda Fricker (CUNY) are the other members of her dissertation committee. Emma is interested in social philosophy, feminist philosophy, ethics, critical theory, queer theory, and science and technology studies (STS). Her dissertation focuses on sexual autonomy and sexual ethics. You can find more about Emma and her work at emmaathertonphilosophy.com.
What excites you about philosophy?
A thing that currently excites me about philosophy as a discipline is the way it’s presently growing and evolving (and it’s potential to grow further), how social philosophy is becoming more respected, and how more women and people of color are able to stay in philosophy and have their work and voices heard (though this could, of course, improve much more still). It’s exciting to see philosophy diversifying, expanding, and becoming socially engaged in new ways. Of course, it’s due to the efforts of many people over many, many years that philosophy is engaging in these ways. I hope to contribute to these efforts.
Something that excites me about doing philosophy is the ‘click’ moment when you get or more fully understand another philosopher’s ideas, the kind of perspective shift that can be happen when you come to better see and feel the terrain of another person’s way of seeing (a part of) the world. Also when you’re finally able to carefully articulate a complex thought or intuition that’s been floating around your head in inarticulate form. I find those kind of moments so motivating, when they happen.
What are you working on right now?
I’m deep in my dissertation right now. I’m writing about sexual autonomy, mostly from a feminist and relational autonomy theory perspective (though I’m interested in bringing these into conversation with more general moral philosophy too). One area of focus is on how social structures and ideologies influence ‘sexual subjectivization’, or the processes of becoming a sexual subject. Another area of focus is on sexual consent, specifically building an account of sexual consent which moves away from the ‘consent equals the waiving of the right to freedom from bodily interference’ kind of model present in a lot of contemporary theory. I have a background in sex education, and I’m interested in incorporating insights from that into my philosophy, specifically insights about consent as it might look within a capabilities (from capabilities theory) framework. My aim in my dissertation is ameliorative – I’m wanting help build concepts and analyses oriented toward a more just sexual reality. I’m also doing more peripheral work on questions of sexuality and technology, sexual embodiment, and the ethics of sexual preference.
What is your favorite book of all time? (Or top 3). Why? To whom would you recommend them?
Going to focus on my current favourite non-philosophy books here: Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado, Milkman by Anna Burns, and Perfumes: the A-Z Guide by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez. Her Body and Other Parties does, I think, an amazing job of conveying many unspoken subtleties of gendered and queer experience, without being heavy handed. I’d recommend it to everyone – it’s beautiful to read, deeply moving, and will likely either resonate with you about things you’ve not been able to articulate, or will help you gain some insights into the lives of women and queer people you might not have had before. Milkman also does this, and is one of the strangest books I’ve read – it kind of lulls you into the weirdly anxious but calm surreal world of a young woman’s trying to understand and communicate her experience of sexual harassment and stalking against the backdrop of The Troubles in Ireland. Again, I’d recommend it to everyone – the writing is difficult, strange, and good. Perfumes is, as might have been obvious, a perfume guide featuring the most inventive, excessive, and evocative descriptions of perfumes. It’s really aesthetically engaging (and quite snarky and funny at times), and I’d recommend it to perfume lovers but also anyone who wants to read beautiful and ridiculous aesthetic descriptions (its also a great book for reading just a few pages at a time).
What time of day are you most productive and creative?
Definitely first thing in the morning, just awake enough to get a cup of tea and set up at my desk, which is, luckily, against a window and gets good morning light. I feel as though I’m most productive and most likely to get into flow with writing before the reality of practical life has set in.
What are your goals and aspirations outside work?
I’d love to get involved in sex education again, or to be engaged with sex educators. Engaging directly with people and doing the more practical side of the topic I spend a lot of time theorizing about was really rewarding.
Which super power would you like to have?
Teleportation. No contest. Being able to see far-away friends and family with ease. Also, being able to teleport to any place to have any kind of cuisine would be a big life enhancer.
This section of the APA Blog is designed to get to know our fellow philosophers a little better. We’re including profiles of APA members that spotlight what captures their interest not only inside the office, but also outside of it. We’d love for you to be a part of it, so please contact us via the interview nomination form here to nominate yourself or a friend.
Dr. Sabrina D. MisirHiralall is an editor at the Blog of the APA who currently teaches philosophy, religion, and education courses solely online for Montclair State University, Three Rivers Community College, and St. John’s University.
