Lacey Davidson, PhD

About

My primary research interests are philosophy of race, social epistemology, and philosophy of mind. In particular, I’m interested in the social function of racism, the epistemological features of racism, the cognitive mechanisms of racism, the ways our moral emotions are influenced by racism, and how we can take collective responsibility for racism.

I enjoy teaching students how philosophy can be used as a tool to critically analyze the world they live in and to identify appropriate and effective locations for action and intervention. I believe philosophy is an active, living methodology that can be used to think carefully about any issue. I teach courses on philosophy of race, metaphysics, and social epistemology. In my research and teaching, I am committed to thinking more broadly about what counts as philosophy, often highlighting voices that are traditionally outside of the “canon” of philosophy.

Education

Ph.D.

Philosophy, Purdue University, 2019

Dissertation: “That’s (Also) Racist! Entity Type Pluralism, Responsibility, and Liberatory Norms”

Committee: Daniel Kelly (chair), Leonard Harris, Taylor Davis, Ron Mallon (outside reader)

 B.A

Philosophy and Political Science, Wittenberg University, 2012

Publications

Forthcoming, 2020. “Epistemic Responsibility and Implicit Bias.” Introduction to Implicit Bias, Alex Madva & Erin Beeghly (eds.), Routledge. [co-authored with Nancy McHugh]

 Forthcoming, 2020. “Social Distrust.” Social Trust, Kevin Vallier (ed.), Routledge. [co- authored with Mark Satta]

 2019. “When Testimony Isn’t Enough: Implicit Bias Research as Epistemic Exclusion.” Invited contribution to Overcoming Epistemic Injustice, Benjamin Sherman & Stacy Goguen (Eds.), 269-284. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

 2019. “Epistemic Labor and The Power in (Fat) Identity: Three Fat Archetypes as Experienced in the Streets, the Local Bar, and Other Public Places. Fat Studies. [co-authored with Melissa Gruver] https://doi.org/10.1080/21604851.2019.1629806

 2018. “Minding the Gap: Bias, Soft Structures, and the Double Life of Social Norms.” Journal of Applied Philosophy. [co-authored with Daniel Kelly] https://doi.org/10.1111/japp.12351

 2017. “Category Matters: The Interlocking Epistemic and Moral Costs of Implicit Bias.” Teoria 37.2: 37-52. https://doi.org/10.4454/teoria.v37i2.16

Forthcoming. “Epistemology of HIV Transmission: The Roles of Privilege and Marginalization in the Dissemination of Knowledge.” Making the Case: Feminist and Critical Race Theorists Investigate Case Studies, Nancy McHugh and Heidi Grasswick (Eds.), SUNY University Press. [co-authored with Mark Satta]