Elizabeth Finneron-Burns

Elizabeth Finneron-Burns is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Western University's Faculty of Social Science. She holds a DPhil from Oxford, an MSc from LSE, and a BA Hons from Queen's University, establishing her expertise in political philosophy and ethics.

Her educational background includes:

• DPhil in Political Science/Philosophy from the University of Oxford
• MSc in Political Theory from the London School of Economics
• BA Hons in Political Studies from Queen's University

Finneron-Burns specializes in intergenerational ethics, focusing on obligations to future generations regarding population creation, well-being, and human extinction. Her SSHRC-funded project 'The Ethics of Human Extinction' critically examines humanity's definition, extinction's moral implications, and ancestral obligations. She also investigates tensions between duties to future people and the current global poor, challenging conventional justice frameworks through contractualist and egalitarian lenses.

Analysis of her 2021-2025 publications reveals a cohesive trajectory: foundational work on the non-identity problem evolved into population ethics and extinction studies, with recent emphasis on post-work justice and procreative dilemmas. Her scholarship consistently bridges theoretical rigor with practical policy concerns, particularly in global resource allocation and sovereign wealth management.

Her primary research support includes:

• SSHRC Insight Development Grant for 'The Ethics of Human Extinction' project

Finneron-Burns supervises graduate students in political philosophy, focusing on population ethics and intergenerational justice. Her editorial work on the Oxford Handbook of Population Ethics demonstrates leadership in shaping the field, while her grant-funded research directly addresses urgent questions about humanity's long-term trajectory and moral responsibilities.

She actively contributes to the Department of Political Science's ethics research cluster, collaborating with philosophers and political theorists on interdisciplinary projects examining humanity's future through ethical, policy, and existential risk frameworks.