Dr Richard Hamilton

Biography

I obtained my PhD in 2004 from Birkbeck College, University of London and started work at the University of Notre Dame Australia shortly afterwards. I work on moral and political theory with an interest in the contribution of empirical science to moral philosophy. I also work on foundational questions in professional ethics in particular role ethics and professional formation. I have published widely on this and other topics most recently editing a special edition of the Journal of Value Inquiry on virtues and roles. I am currently completing a monograph Natural Citizens: Ethical Formation as Biological Development.

Teaching areas

Moral and Political Philosophy, Professional and Business Ethics, Bioethics, History of Philosophy.

Research expertise and supervision

Moral and Political Philosophy (especially Virtue Ethics) Philosophy of Biology, Phenomenology.
Currently surpervising three PhD projects and two MPhils. Have previously supervised two MPhils to successful completion.

Books

Richard P Hamilton with Margaret Sönser Breen (eds.) (2004). This Thing Of Darkness: Perspectives On Evil And Human Wickedness, Amsterdam & Atlanta, GA; Rodopi.

Book chapters

Richard P Hamilton (2015) Anger and Courage; Hope's Beautiful Daughters in Pike& Ledvinka (eds) Happiness: Twenty-First Century Perspectives. Perth: UWA Press
Richard P Hamilton (2014) 'A Very Peculiar Naturalism: Neo-Aristotelian Virtue Ethics' in Acumen Companion to Virtue Ethics Stan van Hooft (ed.).
Richard P Hamilton (2014) 'Against "Values'" ' in Debates in Values-Based Practice: Arguments For And Against Michael Loughlin (ed.) Cambridge University Press.
Richard P Hamilton (2011) 'Ethical Naturalism and the Challenge of Biology' in H. Ramsey (ed.) Truth And Faith In Ethics, Imprint Academic (St. Andrews Studies in Philosophy and Public Affairs).
Richard P Hamilton (2010a) 'Respecting An Establishment of religion'. In P. A. Quadrio & C. Besseling (eds.), Politics and religion in the new century: Philosophical reflections. Sydney, NSW: Sydney University Press.
Richard P Hamilton (2010b) 'Hitting the bars with Aristotle: Dating in a time of uncertainty'. In K. Miller & M. Clark (eds.), Dating – Philosophy For Everyone: Flirting With Big Ideas Malden, MA: Wiley Blackwell.
Richard P Hamilton (2004) 'Hier ist Kein Warum: Evil at the Limits of Understanding', Chapter Five in Hamilton and Breen.

Journal articles and proceedings

Richard P Hamilton (2013) 'The Frustrations of Virtue: The Myth of Value Freedom in Psychotherapy' Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice
Richard P Hamilton (2010a) 'The concept of health: Beyond normativism and naturalism'. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 16(2), 323-329.
Richard P Hamilton (2009a) 'Shame and Philosophy'. Res Publica, 16(4), 431-439.
Richard P Hamilton (2009b) 'The Darwinian cage: Evolutionary psychology as moral science'. Theory Culture and Society, 25(2), 105-125.
Richard P Hamilton (2006) 'On Love as a Contested Concept' Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour 36:3 pp. 240-254.
Richard P Hamilton (2004) 'Might There Be Legal Reasons?' Res Publica, 10, 425-447.
Richard P Hamilton (2003) 'How To Get Real About Rape: Evolutionary Psychology and
The Lived Experience Of Sexual Violence', Contemporary Issues In Law, 79-91.
Richard P Hamilton (2001) 'The Insignificance Of Learners' Errors: A Philosophical Investigation Of The Interlanguage Hypothesis', Language and Communication, Vol. 21. 73-88.

Conference papers

"Shakespearean Ontogeny" Australasian Association of Philosophy, University of Auckland, December 2013.
"Shakespearean Ontogeny" Philosophy Colloquium, Murdoch University November 2013
"A Virtue Ethical Approach to Elective Homebirth and Vaccination' Australasian Association of Philosophy, University of Queensland, July 2013
'The Myth of the Biological Given' Philosophy Colloquium Murdoch University, December 2012
'Neo-Aristotelian Naturalism' International Virtue Ethics Workshop, Deakin University, September 2012
'Vicious Capitalism and the Privatisation of Virtue' Australasian Association of Philosophy Conference University of Wollongong, June 2012
'Natural Citizens: Ethical Formation as Biological Development' Naturalisms in Ethics Conference, University of Auckland, July 2011
'In Defence of Hirsute Naturalism in Ethics' Australasian Association of Philosophy & AAP(NZ) Conference, University of Otago, July 2011
'Does Evolution By Natural Selection Entail Moral Fictionalism?' AAP(NZ) Conference University of Waikato, December 2010
'What Have We Learned From the Situationism Debate?' Virtue Ethics/ Virtue Epistemology Conference, University of Waikato, December 2010.
'Does Evolution by Natural Selection Entail Moral Fictionalism? A Debate With Dr. Michael Rubin'. Philosophy Colloquium Murdoch University, December 2010.
'The Creatures Too Must Become Free: Making Sense of Animal Morality' Australasian Association of Philosophy, University of New South Wales, July 2010
'Does Science Threaten Meaning?' Keynote Address, Philosophy Colloquium Murdoch University, December 2009.
'Character, Complicity and Imagination in Vincente Amorim's (2008) Good' Australasian Association of Philosophy Conference, University of Melbourne, July 2009.'
'Strange Bedfellows? Developmental Systems Theory and Interactionist Social Science.' AAP(NZ) Conference, University of Auckland, December 2008.
'On The Curious (Absence of) Dialogue Between Phenomenology and Ordinary Language Philosophy', Philosophy Colloquium Murdoch University, December 2008.
'Two Cheers For Evolutionary Ethics' Australasian Association of Philosophy Conference, La Trobe University, July 2008.
'There's Something Wrong with Human Nature: Naturalistic Virtue Ethics and Biological Taxa', Australian Association of Philosophy New Zealand Division, Victoria University of Wellington, December 2007.
'Philosophy, Silence and the Responsibility of Intellectuals', Western Australian Colloquium on Philosophy and Responsibility, Murdoch University December 2006.
On Some Supposed Biological Challenges to Virtue Ethics, Australasian Association of Philosophy, Australian National University, July 2006.
'Social Constructionism as an Error Theory of Love', Australasian Association of Philosophy New Zealand, University of Otago, New Zealand, December 2005
'What Was Analytic Philosophy? A Plea for Principled Amateurishness' Western Australian Colloquium on Philosophy in the 21st Century, Murdoch University, November 2005
'Can Contemporary Philosophy of the Emotions Learn Anything from Descartes?' Australasian Association of Philosophy Annual Conference, South Molle Island, QL. Australia. July 2004
'Could there be legal akrasia?' Conference of the Association for Social, Legal and Political Philosophy, The University of Newcastle upon Tyne, April 2003.
'Husserl's Critique Of Evolutionary Psychology' Society For European Philosophy, Manchester Metropolitan University, September 2001.
'Ich Kann Mich In Sie Nicht Finden: Understanding Winch, Understanding Ourselves,' Conference on Peter Winch and The Idea Of A Social Science, University Of Bristol, September 2000.
'How To Get Real About Rape: Evolutionary Psychology, Coercion and Consent'. Conference on Sexual Consent, Edge Hill University College, July 2000.
'The Mote In Thy Neighbour's Eye: Evolutionary Psychology, Moral Science and the Mismatch Hypothesis', Mind and Society Seminars, Manchester University and Manchester Metropolitan University, July 2000.
'Hier Ist Kein Warum: Evil At The Limits Of Understanding'. Conference On Evil and Human Wickedness, Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, April 2000.

In the media

ABC Drive and ABC Morning interviews on ethical topics.

Professional affiliations

Australasian Association of Philosophy
National Tertiary Education Union

Awards

Visiting Senior Research Fellowship, Rhodes University, South Africa 2015-2016

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