Magnus Ferguson

Magnus Ferguson is a Collegiate Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Chicago and a Harper-Schmidt Fellow in the University of Chicago Society of Fellows. He holds a PhD in Philosophy from Boston College (2023) and a BA in Religion from Columbia University (2014). His academic career focuses on ethics, 20th-century European philosophy, and social epistemology.

• PhD in Philosophy, Boston College (2023)
• BA in Religion, Columbia University (2014)

His research explores responsibility, social interpretation, and emotion through pluralist philosophical frameworks. Key areas include:

• Ethics and moral psychology
• 20th-Century European philosophy
• Social epistemology and political philosophy
• Feminist philosophy and hermeneutics
• History of philosophy (phenomenology, ancient, and early modern traditions)

Recent publications analyze normative fear in Hans Jonas/Aristotle, emotional accountability in social institutions, and hermeneutical frameworks for gendered embodiment. His work often engages Hannah Arendt’s political theory and participatory democracy models.

Scientific awards include:

• Harper-Schmidt Fellowship, University of Chicago Society of Fellows

Magnus teaches courses in phenomenology, ethics, and historical philosophy, emphasizing figures like Husserl, Heidegger, Arendt, and Sartre. His advising focuses on social/political philosophy and philosophical hermeneutics.