Biography:Arif Ahmed (philosopher)
Arif Mohuiddin Ahmed MBE is the Director for Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom of the Office for Students, following his appointment in June 2023.[1] Prior to this, Ahmed was a philosopher at the University of Cambridge, where he became a fellow of Gonville and Caius College in 2015,[2] university reader in philosophy in 2016,[3] and Nicholas Sallnow-Smith College Lecturer in 2019.[4] His research interests include decision theory and the philosophy of religion, from an atheist and libertarian point of view.[2] Ahmed studied mathematics at the University of Oxford and philosophy at the University of Sussex and Cambridge.[5]
At Cambridge he has been an advocate for the protection of freedom of speech, in reaction to the university administration's cancellation of an invitation to the politically conservative academic Jordan Peterson.[6][7][8] In 2020, Ahmed also led opposition to the University's proposed amendments to its freedom of speech policy, ultimately concluding with the rejection of the amendments.[9][10]
Ahmed was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to education.[11] In late 2022, the Minister for Women and Equalities, and Trade Secretary, Kemi Badenoch MP appointed Ahmed as new Commissioner to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) Board.[12] He left the EHRC after being appointed Director for Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom at the Office for Students (OfS) in June 2023.[1][13]
Books
Ahmed is the author of the books Saul Kripke (Continuum Books, 2007), which analyses the philosophy of Saul Kripke,[14] and Evidence, Decision and Causality (Cambridge University Press, 2014), which defends evidential decision theory and critiques causal decision theory.[15] Ahmed is also the editor of both Wittgenstein's Philosophical investigations: A critical guide (Cambridge University Press, 2010)[16] and Newcomb's Problem (Cambridge University Press, 2018).[17]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Office for Students announces its first Director for Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom". 1 June 2023. https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/news-blog-and-events/press-and-media/office-for-students-announces-its-first-director-for-freedom-of-speech-and-academic-freedom/. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Arif Ahmed". Gonville and Caius College. https://www.cai.cam.ac.uk/people/arif-ahmed. Retrieved 2020-12-11.
- ↑ "Arif Ahmed". Cambridge Faculty of Philosophy. 7 February 2014. https://www.phil.cam.ac.uk/people/teaching-research-pages/ahmed/ahmed-page. Retrieved 2020-12-11.
- ↑ "Investing in teaching". Once a Caian (19). 2019. https://issuu.com/gonvillecaiuscollege/docs/once_a_caian..._issue_19_single_pages/s/154823.
- ↑ "Professor Arif Ahmed" (in en). https://www.cai.cam.ac.ukprofessor/%20Arif%20Ahmed.
- ↑ Quinn, Ben (10 December 2020). "Cambridge University urged to re-invite rightwing academic Jordan Peterson". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/dec/10/cambridge-university-urged-to-re-invite-rightwing-academic-jordan-peterson.
- ↑ Whitworth, Damian (5 December 2020). "The Cambridge professor fighting 'academic McCarthyism': Freedom of speech is fragile, Arif Ahmed tells Damian Whitworth". The Times. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-cambridge-professor-fighting-academic-mccarthyism-jhzctnnpp.
- ↑ Turner, Camilla (9 December 2020). "Cambridge University dons win free speech row, defeat new 'authoritarian' rules". https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/12/09/cambridge-university-dons-win-free-speech-row-defeat-new-authoritarian/.
- ↑ Quinn, Ben (2020-12-09). "Cambridge University rejects proposal it be 'respectful' of all views" (in en-GB). The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/09/cambridge-university-rejects-proposal-it-be-respectful-of-all-views.
- ↑ "Cambridge University votes to safeguard free speech" (in en-GB). BBC News. 2020-12-09. https://www.bbc.com/news/education-55246793.
- ↑ No. 63377. 12 June 2021. p. B15. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/63377/supplement/B15
- ↑ "New EHRC commissioners appointed". 4 December 2022. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-ehrc-commissioners-appointed.
- ↑ Freeman, Rob (2023-06-01). "University freedom of speech champion says ‘democracy at stake’". The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/university-government-oxford-union-universities-cambridge-b2349339.html.
- ↑ Reviews of Saul Kripke: Anton Petrenko, Phil. in Rev., [1], [2]
- ↑ Reviews of Evidence, Decision and Causality: James M. Joyce, J. Phil., doi:10.5840/jphil2016113413; H. Orri Stefánsson, Phil. of Sci., doi:10.1086/684183; Paul Weirich, Notre Dame Phil. Rev., [3]
- ↑ Reviews of Wittgenstein's Philosophical investigations: David Macey, Phil. Rev., [4]; George Lazaroiu, Linguistic and Philosophical Investigations, [5].
- ↑ Reviews of Newcomb's Problem: J. Dmitri Gallow, Economics & Philosophy, doi:10.1017/S0266267119000178; Jack Spencer, Notre Dame Phil. Rev., [6]
External links
- Profile at University of Cambridge
- {{Google Scholar id}} template missing ID and not present in Wikidata.
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