Students in the Program write honors theses on topics that use moral and political philosophy to address practical problems. Previous theses have considered such questions as the just distribution of health care, our obligations to future generations, the role of moral values in education, the moral implications of genetic engineering, and the relationship between gender inequality, and the structures of work and family.
Past theses are available to read. Please contact alannar@stanford.edu
Topic | Scholar | Advisor | Major |
Year![]() |
Title |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Philosophy | Dudani, Salil | Dannenberg, Jorah | Philosophy | 2015 | Who Cares About Distant Suffering? Affluence, Donation, and the Argument from Care |
International Relations | Ola, Danielle | Malkki, Liisa | International Relations | 2015 | A Question of Authority: Superstition, Charisma, and Superior Responsibility in the Special Court for Sierra Leone |
International Relations | Sekhri, Aaron | Vardi, Gil-Li | International Relations | 2015 | Drones and Democracy: The Specter of Executive Overreach, Constant Conflict, and Unjust, Immaculate Warfare |
Earth Sciences | Zabel, Claire | Caldeira, Ken | Earth Systems | 2014 | Engineering Earth: The Ethics of Building a Better Climate |
Political Science | Raikes, Connor | Reich, Rob | Political Science | 2014 | Candidacy and Responsibility in a Citizens United Age |
Law | Nakai, Ashley | Friedman, Lawrence & Olson, Kristi | Political Science | 2014 | Syndicourt Is In Session: Potential Effects of Syndicated Court Shows on American Audiences |
Philosophy | Grueskin, Caroline | Dannenberg, Jorah | Philosophy | 2014 | Moral Taint |
International Relations | Abdallah, Nabila | Weiner, Allen | Philosophy | 2014 | Unlawful Enemy Combatant? The Case for the Legitimate Authority of Non-state Entities and a Subsequent Reformulation of Moral Liability to Attack |
International Relations | Aier, Rebecca | Reich, Rob | International Relations | 2013 | To Thrive or to Survive? The Implications of Applying an Impartial Ethic to a Partial World |
Philosophy | Asperger, Jessica | Reich, Rob | Philosophy | 2013 | Accompaniment in Short-Term Service: An Ethical Analysis of Volunteer Tourism |
Public Policy | Cirenza, Julianne | Schapiro, Tamar | Sociology | 2013 | Access to Comprehensive Sex Education: An Adolescent's Right to Wellbeing |
Public Policy | Fisher, Claire | Reich, Rob Moe,Terry | Political Science | 2013 | The Ethics of For-Profit Schooling: A Case for Private Sector Entry into Public Education |
Biology | Hayden, Margaret | Luhrmann, Tanya | Human Biology | 2013 | The Ethics of Conceptualizing Serious Mental Illness: Schizophrenia and the Limitations of a Brain-Based Model |
History | Kovacs-Goodman, Jacob | Parker, Grant | Classics | 2013 | Relics Ne'er To Be Restored? Reforming Cultural Property Law in the Mediterranean |
Political Science | Kramer, Nicole | Romano, Michael | Political Science | 2013 | Criminal Justice and Direct Democracy in California: The Initiative Process's Influence on California's Criminal Justice Policy |
Philosophy | Pak, Albert | Bratman,Michael Schapiro, Tamar | Political Science & Philosophy | 2013 | Addiction and Excusability |
Philosophy | Smith, Cameron | Olson, Kristi | Philosophy & Religious Studies | 2013 | Why We Need to Satisfy Need |
Political Science | Sylvester, David | Ober, Josh | Political Science | 2013 | Citizens United vs. Citizens United: Democratic Authority and the Constitution |
Political Science | Taylor, Torryn | Banks, Rick | Political Science | 2013 | What's So Bad About Racial Profiling, Anyway? An Evaluation of the Practice and Its Moral Costs |
Biology | Valle, Sean | Greely, Hank | IDM in Biosynthetic Engineering | 2013 | One Baby, Two Baby, Red Baby, Blue Baby: Genetic Determination and Reproductive Freedom |