Nicholas Makins School of Philosophy, Religion, and

ndmakins@gmail.com History of Science

+44 (0)7846 879 257 University of Leeds
Woodhouse Lane
LS2 9JT
Research Interests

AOS: Practical Rationality, Metaethics, Decision Theory.

AOC: Normative and Applied Ethics, Philosophy of Medicine, Philosophy of Science,
Political Philosophy.

Academic Employment

2023-present: British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Leeds

2021-23: Sowerby Lecturer in Philosophy, King’s College London.

Education

2018-22: London School of Economics and Political Science

PhD Philosophy.
Thesis: ‘Essays on Moral Doubt, Meta-ethics, and Choice’

2016-17: London School of Economics and Political Science

MSc Philosophy of Science. Distinction.
Thesis: ‘Normative Uncertainty About Population Axiology’.

2010-16: University College London

MBBS Medicine.

2012-13: University College London

BSc Medical Sciences with Psychology. 2.1 (Hons).

Publications

Peer reviewed (forthcoming) ‘Suppositional Desires and Rational Choice Under Moral
articles Uncertainty’, Ergo.

(2023) ‘The Balance and Weight of Reasons’, Theoria.

(2023) ‘Patients, Doctors, and Risk Attitudes’, Journal of Medical Ethics.

(2022) ‘Attitudinal Ambivalence: Moral Uncertainty for Non-Cognitivists’,

Australasian Journal of Philosophy.

Commentaries (2023) ‘Defending Deference: author’s response to commentaries’, Journal

and reviews of Medical Ethics.

(2022) ‘The How and Why of Approximating Bayesian Ideals: Review of

“Unsettled Thoughts”, by Julia Staffel’, Philosophical Psychology.

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Works in Progress

‘Action-guidance, Abilities, and Acceptance’.

‘When Risk Matters: the Dominance of Risks Over Outcome Measures’.

‘Patient Preference Predictors: Evidence and Decision-making’

‘Preference and Commitment Under Moral Uncertainty’.

‘The Possibility of Intertheoretic Value Comparisons Under Uncertainty About Population

Axiology’.

‘Reasons for Belief and the Possibility of Intentionally Biased Inquiry’.

Selected Talks

‘Action-guidance, Abilities, and Acceptance’:

Cologne Summer School in Philosophy (upcoming, August 2024).

‘Patient Preference Predictors: Evidence and Decision-Making’:

4th NYU Philosophical Bioethics Workshop (2024); Bayreuth Workshop on Decisions and
Collectives (2024); 11th International Philosophy of Medicine Roundtable (2024).

‘When Risk Matters: the Dominance of Risks Over Outcome Measures’:

10th International Philosophy of Medicine Roundtable (2023); 4th Philosophy in Biology and
Medicine Conference 2023.

‘Doctors, Patients, and Risk Attitudes’:

APA Pacific Division Meeting 2023; British Society for the Philosophy of Science Conference
2022.

‘Uncertainty About Patient Values in Medical Choices’:

Values in Medicine, Science, and Technology Conference 2022; KCL Philosophy & Medicine
Interdisciplinary Workshop 2021.

‘The Relevance of Belief: Subjective Norms Under Empirical and Moral Uncertainty’:
APA Pacific Division Meeting 2021.

‘Preference and Commitment Under Moral Uncertainty’:

Preferences, Commitments and Choice, University of Zurich; Great Lakes Philosophy
Conference: Ethics in Action, Siena Heights University; Choice Group, LSE; Understanding
Value IX, University of Sheffield.

‘Attitudinal Ambivalence: Moral Uncertainty for Non-cognitivists’:

2020 Annual Conference of the British Society for Ethical Theory; The European Congress of
Analytic Philosophy 10 (ECAP10), Utrecht University; London Graduate Moral and Political
Philosophy Workshop 2019; LSE/ColAForm Workshop on Individual and Collective
Attitudes; The 23rd Oxford Graduate Philosophy Conference, 2019.

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 ‘The Balance and Weight of Reasons’:
London Graduate Philosophy Conference 2021; LSE Choice Group, 2021.

‘Rational Choice Under Uncertainty About Population Axiology’:

Workshop on Welfare, Saarland University.

Teaching

Lead instructor at King’s College London:

2021-23: Philosophy of Medicine (Masters level).
Philosophy Student Selected Component (a selection of philosophical topics for
2nd year medical students).

Guest lecturer at King’s College London:

2022-23: The Concept of Mental Disorder (Masters level)

Class tutor at King’s College London:

2022-23: Philosophy of Science
2021-22: Introduction to Values Based Clinical Practice: Philosophy Block (introductory
philosophy for 1st year medical students).

Graduate Teaching Assistant at LSE:

2020-21: Philosophy and Public Policy.
Historical and Global Perspectives on Philosophy.
2019-20: Philosophy, Morals and Politics.
Philosophy of Economics.

Philosophy Course Provider with Philosophy in Prisons:

2023-present: Teaching philosophy in prisons with the charity Philosophy in Prison.

Private tuition:
2016-21: GCSE and A-level Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and English.

Qualifications and accreditation:

2021: Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education.
2021: Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.

Awards:
2023: King’s PGR Mentoring and Support award
2023: King’s Education Award nomination.
2020-21: LSESU Teaching Award Nominee.
2019-20: LSE Class Teacher Award Winner.

Prizes and Scholarships

2023-26: British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship. Project: “Normative Principles and

Uncertainty: a User’s Guide”. Total award: £370,529.37.

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 2021: John Watkins Memorial Prize. For the paper ‘Attitudinal Ambivalence:
Moral Uncertainty for Non-cognitivists’. Awarded biennially for
distinguished achievement in any of the areas in which Professor John
Watkins worked.
2018-22: LSE PhD Studentship. £18,000 per annum for 4 years.

Service

2021-present: Running a range of activities for the Sowerby Project in Philosophy &
Medicine, including research workshops, the Annual Sowerby Lecture,
colloquium series and reading groups.
2019-21: Co-organiser, LSE Choice Group seminar series.

Public Engagement

2021: Philosophy Exchange Podcast. PX and PhD Research – Nicholas Makins

“Attitudinal Ambivalence: Moral Uncertainty for Non-cognitivists.”

Non-Academic Employment

2017-18: Project Research Officer, Government Office for Science, UK Civil

Service.

References

Prof. Richard Bradley

Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method
London School of Economics and Political Science

Dr. Campbell Brown

Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method
London School of Economics and Political Science

Prof. Krister Bykvist

Department of Philosophy
Stockholm University

Prof. Andrew Sepielli

Department of Philosophy
University of Toronto