Sam Livy

I am an existing postgrad in political science and a former British Army Education and Training Officer and MOD civil servant. Early-retired from the military on medical grounds, I took up philosophy during lockdown. I am currently doing an UG Cert in Higher Education (Philosophy) with Oxford University Department of Continuing Education. My aim is to progress from UG Philosophy to the York MA in Political and Legal Philosophy, and thereafter a DPhil looking at moral dilemmas in extremis - the conflict sometimes arising for military personnel between duty, loyalty and moral obligation. My main interests - informed by my personal and professional background - are in moral and political philosophy, in particular practical ethics in the areas of war and conflict, disability and well-being, and sport. Like many engaged people I also have an interest in ethics and animals and the environment.

I discovered the Oxford Four when, having had the trolley problem posed to me in several different lectures (on courses prior to Oxford) but never a mention of the philosopher who first devised it, I went looking and found Philippa Foot. Then through the book “The Women Are Up to Something” her three colleagues. I discovered the In Parenthesis project this morning when I fell down a rabbit hole following links from a Five Books interview with Nigel Warburton.