Michael Otsuka

Michael Otsuka is a Professor of Philosophy at Rutgers University, specializing in Normative Ethics, Political Philosophy, and Applied Ethics (public policy). He earned his doctorate and B.Phil. from Oxford University under G. A. Cohen and holds a B.A. in Political Science from Yale University. Otsuka has authored two influential books: Libertarianism without Inequality (OUP, 2003) and How to Pool Risks across Generations: The Case for Collective Pensions (OUP, 2023). Before joining Rutgers in 2022, he taught at the London School of Economics, University College London, and UCLA. His research spans normative ethics, political philosophy, and metaphysics, with a focus on free will, personal identity, and the ethics of risk distribution.

Otsuka's publications highlight his contributions to debates on egalitarianism versus prioritarianism, self-defense ethics, and intergenerational justice. He has extensively explored the moral implications of risk pooling, pensions, and insurance, advocating for collective solutions to mitigate inequality. His work also engages with Kantian consequentialism, double-effect doctrine, and libertarian rights theory. While no specific scientific awards are listed, his scholarship has sparked significant academic discourse, including symposium replies and critical engagements with prominent philosophers like Derek Parfit and Thomas Scanlon. Otsuka maintains an active presence on Medium and Twitter, discussing public policy issues such as pensions, healthcare, and inflation measurement.