Kyla Ebels-Duggan

Kyla Ebels-Duggan is Professor of Philosophy at Northwestern University where she serves as Director of the Brady Scholars Program. She is also a senior fellow at the Center for Ethics and Education and currently holds fellowships at the Kaplan Institute for the Humanities and as a Newbigin Fellow. Her academic work spans both contemporary moral and political philosophy and historical philosophical traditions.

Dr. Ebels-Duggan's research focuses on moral and political philosophy with specializations in Kant's moral and political philosophy, philosophy of religion, philosophy of education, interpersonal relationships, and love. Her work examines how reasons function in valuing attitudes, the nature of moral community, and the implications of philosophical insights for practical issues like education and political disagreement in pluralistic societies. She is currently completing two book manuscripts: one exploring reasons for valuing people and things, and another developing Iris Murdoch's ethical theory.

Her publications reveal a consistent engagement with questions of autonomy, value, and community across diverse philosophical contexts. Her recent work shows particular interest in how inarticulable reasons function in normative commitments, the relationship between love and respect, and the philosophical foundations of moral education. She has published in top philosophy journals including Ethics, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, and Oxford Studies in Normative Ethics.

• Fellow at the Kaplan Institute for the Humanities
• Newbigin Fellow
• Fellow at the Princeton University Center for Human Values
• Fellow at CEPPA at the University of St Andrews
• Fellow at the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good at the University of Notre Dame

As an advisor, Dr. Ebels-Duggan has guided numerous doctoral students to completion and currently mentors several students in the prospectus and ABD phases. Her teaching and mentorship extend to undergraduate thesis supervision as well. Her public philosophy contributions include articles in The Hill, Psychology Today, and The Northwestern Daily, demonstrating her commitment to bringing philosophical insights to broader audiences.