Philippe van Basshuysen

Philippe van Basshuysen is a Faculty Member at the CELLS - Centre for Ethics and Law in the Life Sciences at Leibniz University Hannover. His research spans the intersection of philosophy, economics, and ethics, with particular focus on market design, mechanism design, and the ethical implications of algorithmic systems. He maintains an active research profile with publications in top philosophy, ethics, and interdisciplinary journals.

Van Basshuysen's research interests include Market Design, Mechanism Design, Decision and Game Theory, Ethics, and Philosophy of Science. His work frequently addresses the ethical dimensions of predictive systems, risk assessment tools, and digital contact tracing applications. He has made significant contributions to understanding the performative aspects of predictive algorithms, arguing that some systems don't merely predict outcomes but actively shape them, creating novel ethical responsibilities. His research also extends to pandemic response ethics, kidney exchange programs, climate change ethics, and refugee distribution mechanisms.

His recent publications reveal a strong trend toward examining the ethical implications of algorithmic decision-making in various contexts, from criminal justice to public health. Van Basshuysen has been particularly active in analyzing the ethical trade-offs in digital contact tracing during the COVID-19 pandemic, challenging conventional wisdom about privacy concerns and advocating for more nuanced ethical assessments that consider both privacy risks and public health benefits. His work on performative prediction represents a growing focus on how predictive systems can shape social realities rather than merely reflecting them.

• Active contributor to the ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (FAccT)
• Published in leading journals including American Philosophical Quarterly, Philosophy of Science, and Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal
• Regular contributor to debates on pandemic ethics in Journal of Medical Ethics and Science and Engineering Ethics

Van Basshuysen has engaged in significant scholarly discourse around pandemic response ethics, particularly regarding lockdown justification and digital contact tracing. His collaborative work has sparked academic debate on the appropriate ethical frameworks for evaluating government responses to public health emergencies. His research demonstrates an interdisciplinary approach that bridges philosophical analysis with practical policy considerations across multiple domains including healthcare, criminal justice, and environmental policy.