alexandra plakias

About me

I am Associate Professor of Philosophy at Hamilton College, where I've taught since 2014. Before that, I did a postdoc at the Northern Institute of Philosophy in Aberdeen, as part of Crispin Wright's Relativism and Rational Tolerance project. I got my PhD at the University of Michigan and my MA at UC Santa Cruz (Banana Slugs!), and I grew up in New York City.

When I'm not working, I'm usually wondering what's for dinner.

My Research

I work in a few different areas: moral psychology, metaethics, philosophy of food, and more recently, issues in social epistemology. I'm interested in the places where philosophy intersects with the more mundane parts of our everyday lives: awkward interactions, or figuring out what to eat.

I've written books on awkwardness and the philosophy of food. You can find some of my papers here.

Currently, I'm thinking about the role of technology in the food industry, and how that intersects with issues in the epistemology of food. I'm also continuing to work on the norms around publishing work you don't believe.

My writing has also appeared in The Washington Post (non-paywalled version here) and Aeon, and my work has been featured on NPR, The Gray Area, & the Overthink podcast.

My Books:

Thinking Through Food is a comprehensive overview of the philosophy of food. Written for students and researchers alike, the book includes chapters on the metaphysics, epistemology, aesthetics, and ethics of food. You can find out more & read a sample here; order your copy here.

Awkwardness investigates the psychology and social implications of a familiar phenomenon. It discusses everything from the nature of awkwardness and how it's different from embarrassment and shame, to the ways awkwardness is used to leverage power and silence others. The Times Literary Supplement calls it "warmly and well-written." Available now from Amazon or OUP.