Hi everyone, and welcome to “Reports from Abroad”!
The new series “Reports from Abroad” is aimed at giving you a glimpse of philosophical research outside the United States. Philosophical research – or any other kind of research, for that matter – often arises from pressing societal matters, from the cultural, social, political environments we find ourselves in, and from the questions these environments present us with. It is my hope for this series that it will be able to shed some light on different yet deeply interconnected contexts. I will try to do this from my own specific position, which is the one of a young (white) woman who was born and educated in Europe, and whose philosophical interests touch upon aesthetic, ethical, social, and political matters. The first post of the series will be an interview with Dr. Anya Topolski (Associate Professor of Philosophical Ethics and Political Philosophy, Radboud University) about her research on the interconnections between race and religion, about how racism displays itself in our everyday lives, and about islamophobia and antiziganism as new forms – among others – of racism. Future posts will include not only interviews but also reports of conferences and symposia, short essays, and book reviews. I hope that the series will be able, in the future, to discuss research that is carried out in other parts of Europe and outside the domain of practical philosophy.
Having introduced the series, it is time to introduce myself. I’m a research Master’s student in Social and Political Philosophy at Radboud University (Nijmegen, the Netherlands). I completed my B.A. in Humanities for the Study of Culture at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy, where I graduated with a thesis on the moral and epistemic value of testimony and second-hand knowledge. I then started a philosophy Master’s at the University of Parma. My desire to improve my English philosophical vocabulary, and to experience how philosophical issues were discussed in other parts of the world led me to spend a year at Radboud University on an Erasmus+ scholarship. Over that year, I realized that I want to specialize in social and political philosophy, and that I wanted a kind of education that would prepare me for pursuing a Ph.D. specifically. Therefore, I paused my Italian Master’s momentarily and started a new chapter of my life in the Netherlands. During these years, my philosophical interests have initially deviated from their earlier trajectories only for returning to their ‘origins’ richer than before. At the moment, I am investigating the intersection(s) between aesthetics and ethics. More specifically, I am interested in how Kant’s theory of taste has been used to justify the ethical-aesthetical divide while the connection between aesthetic and moral judgments is actually a recurrent theme in Kantian works. Moreover, I am interested in the implications of (re)connecting aesthetic and ethics for what concerns the status of aesthetic and moral experts, the importance of moral and aesthetic understanding for moral and aesthetic judgments, and the role of museum conceived as educational institutions that shape our knowledge in very peculiar ways. I would like to do further research on these topics as a Ph.D. student. Yet, I would also very much enjoy an editorial career, possibly in public philosophy or in the cultural sector.
I am very enthusiastic about starting this new adventure at the APA blog, and I am very grateful for having been given this opportunity. I hope you are as excited about the series as I am!
I believe that philosophical research is a collective effort. Therefore, I would very much appreciate and welcome any feedback, comment, suggestion, and submission for the series! Is there a topic that you’d like to read about? Do you have an idea about a specific post you’d like to write (or see written)? Would you like to review a book for us? Here are a couple of links to share your ideas with us: the link to our call for posts and to our submission form. I’d love to hear from you, and to read about your ideas!
Ilaria Flisi
Series Editor, “Reports from Abroad”
Ilaria Flisi is a graduate Research Master's student in Social and Political Philosophy at Radboud University. She wrote her Master's thesis on the interrelationships between aesthetics and ethics, and - more specifically - on the ethical duties of aesthetic experts and art institutions. She completed her Bachelor's degree in Humanities for the Study of Culture at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. She has been editor-in-chief of the faculty philosophical journal Splijtstof for the past three years. You'll have her most undivided attention by bringing up any of the following topics: art history, museum practices, epistemic (and real-life) injustice and discrimination, and (sour) beers.
