Leonard A. Kahn

Leonard A. Kahn currently serves as the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Philosophy at Loyola University New Orleans. He also holds the ex officio position of Gerald N. Gaston Distinguished Professor in Religion & Science. Prior to joining Loyola, Kahn taught in the Department of Philosophy at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and served as the 2021-2022 Donald and Beverely Freeman Fellow at the U.S. Naval Academy's Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership.

Kahn completed his DPhil at Oxford University (Magdalen College) under the supervision of Derek Parfit and Roger Crisp. His academic journey includes being a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Calgary, a Visiting Scholar at both the Yale University Center for Bioethics and the Hastings Center for Bioethics, and a Visiting Lecturer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Reading in the UK.

His primary research focuses on moral theory and applied ethics, particularly the ethics of technology and just war theory. Kahn's teaching portfolio spans political philosophy, philosophy of law, philosophy of mind and action, feminist philosophy, and both decision and game theory. He has taught courses including Ethics, Making Moral Decisions, Philosophy of the Human Person, Seminar: Matters of Life and Death, Philosophy and Feminism, Seminar: The Ethics of War, Global Ethics, and Ethics and Artificial Intelligence.

Analysis of Kahn's 15 most recent publications reveals a consistent focus on applied ethical dilemmas across multiple domains. His work spans military ethics (particularly just war theory and autonomous weapons systems), technology ethics (especially AI and cybersecurity), medical ethics, and political philosophy. A recurring theme throughout his scholarship is the application of consequentialist frameworks to contemporary ethical challenges, with particular attention to how theoretical principles translate to real-world decision-making in complex situations.

• Donald and Beverely Freeman Fellow at the U.S. Naval Academy's Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership (2021-2022)
• Editor of John Stuart Mill's On Liberty (Broadview Editions, 2014)

While specific information about his advisees is not provided in the available materials, Kahn's extensive teaching experience across numerous philosophy courses suggests significant mentorship of undergraduate students. His position as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Loyola University New Orleans places him at the center of academic administration, where he oversees faculty development, curriculum design, and strategic planning for the university's liberal arts programs. Kahn's research appears to be supported through academic fellowships such as his Naval Academy appointment, though specific grant details are not mentioned in the provided materials.

Kahn maintains active scholarly engagement through his editorial work (including co-editing Consequentialism and Environmental Ethics with Avram Hiller and Ramona Ilea) and contributions to edited volumes on topics ranging from autonomous vehicles to medical deportation. His professional affiliations include connections with major bioethics centers (Yale, Hastings) and military education institutions (U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy), reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of his work at the intersection of philosophy, technology, and public policy.