Hugo Ribeiro Mota

Hugo Ribeiro Mota is a Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Oslo’s Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas. His research focuses on deep disagreements, power dynamics, and communication under oppression, with a recent emphasis on transitioning violence and peace mediation strategies. Mota holds a PhD from the University of Oslo (2021), under supervisors Joey Pollock and Catarina Dutilh-Novaes, and prior degrees from Brazil’s Federal University of Pernambuco (BA and MA in Philosophy). His work integrates epistemology, social philosophy, and critical theory to address real-world conflicts.

Education:

• PhD in Philosophy, University of Oslo (2021)
• MA in Philosophy, Federal University of Pernambuco (Brazil)
• BA in Philosophy, Federal University of Pernambuco (Brazil)

Research Interests: Mota’s dissertation explored how deep disagreements arise and persist, emphasizing communication strategies in oppressive contexts. His current projects investigate violent disagreement escalation, peace mediation efficacy, and structural inequities in academia (via projects like Dataphilo and Ethnic-Racial Inequities in Brazil). He also contributes to Wittgensteinian critiques of foundationalism and social epistemology.

Projects & Affiliations: He participates in the ‘New Models of Knowledge Communication’ initiative (Research Council of Norway), the Social Epistemology of Argumentation, and the Young Network for Wittgensteinian Philosophy. He co-coordinates the Oslo Mind, Language, and Epistemology Network and serves on the Argumentation Network of the Americas.

Teaching: Recent courses include ‘Structural Racism’, ‘Sexist Ideology and Sexual Violence’, and ‘Philosophy of Psychology’. He emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to social discrimination and critical pedagogy.

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with interdisciplinary teams on data-driven analyses of Brazilian philosophy graduate studies (Dataphilo) and ecosocial approaches to health inequities.