Jessica Flanigan
I am the Richard L Morrill Chair of Ethics and Democratic Values and Professor of Leadership Studies and Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law at the University of Richmond.
My research addresses the ethics of public policy, medicine, and business. I am the author of Pharmaceutical Freedom (OUP 2017) and the co-author of Debating Sex Work (OUP 2019), in addition to numerous articles in journals such as Philosophical Studies, The Australasian Journal of Philosophy, Leadership, The Journal of Moral Philosophy, The Journal of Business Ethics, and the Journal of Political Philosophy.
I recently completed a book about Why It's Ok to Have Bad Spelling and Grammar (Routledge, 2025). I am currently wrapping up a book and several essays about the ethics of pregnancy and fertility policy. I am also writing about animal ethics, supererogation, libertarianism, pro sports, and Taylor Swift.
This year, I am teaching Leadership Ethics and Medical Ethics. I'm also the Gary McDowell Institute Discussion Leader.
Email: jflaniga@richmond.edu.
Please use the link below to schedule a time to meet.
Research
Books
2025 Why It's OK To Have Bad Spelling and Grammar (Routledge)
2019 Debating Sex Work (OUP, 2019)
Co-authored with Lori Watson.
Reviewed in Ethical Theory and Moral Practice (2021)
2017 Pharmaceutical Freedom (OUP, 2017)
Symposium in HEC Forum,
Reviewed in NDPR
Reviewed in the Journal of Applied Philosophy
Reviewed in the Journal of Value Inquiry
Author-Meets-Critics at the PPE Society Meeting (2018)
Author-Meets-Critics at the Pacific APA (2018)
Books in Progress
under contract The Ethics of Expecting (OUP)
under contract Libertarianism, the Basics (Routledge)
Co-authored with Chris Freiman
Edited Volumes
under contract The Philosophy of Taylor Swift (OUP)
Co-edited with Ryan Davis and Lindsay Brainard
2017 The Ethics of Ability and Enhancement (Palgrave), Co-edited with Terry Price.
Refereed Articles
forthcoming “Political Ideology and Public Health” Social Philosophy and Policy (initial submission invited)
2024 “Putting Wilt Chamberlain Back in the Game:
Why Liberalism Is Not Compatible with Distributive Egalitarianism”
The Independent Review
2024 “Public Reason Illiberalism and Ideology” (with Jason Brennan and Chris Freiman)
Australasian Journal of Philosophy,
2022 "Wealth Without Limits" (With Chris Freiman) Ethical Theory and Moral Practice
2022 "Social Equality as an Institutional Ideal" Ethics Politics and Society
2021 “Speech and Campus Inclusivity” (with Alec Greven) Public Affairs Quarterly
2020 “The Ethics of Prenatal Injury” Journal of Moral Philosophy
2020 “Drug War Reparations” (with Chris Freiman) Res Philosophica
2019 Res Philosophica essay contest winner
2020 "Boundary Problems and Self Ownership" Social Philosophy & Policy
2018 "Duty and Enforcement" Journal of Political Philosophy
2017 "All Liberty is Basic" Res Publica
2017 "Philosophical Methodology and Leadership Ethics" Leadership
2016 "Sweatshop Regulations and Workers' Choices" Journal of Business Ethics
2016 "Rethinking Freedom of Contract" Philosophical Studies
2016 "Seat Belt Mandates and Paternalism" Journal of Moral Philosophy
2015 "Obstetric Autonomy and Informed Consent" Ethical Theory and Moral Practice
2014 “A Defense of Compulsory Vaccination” HEC Forum
2014 "Non-culpable ignorance and HIV Criminalisation" The Journal of Medical Ethics
2013 “Public Bioethics” Public Health Ethics
2013 “Inequality and Markets in Bodily Services” Political Theory
2013 “Charisma and Moral Reasoning” Religions
2013 “Economic Freedom and the ACA” Public Affairs Quarterly
2013 “Adderall for All: A Defense of Pediatric Neuroenhancement” HEC Forum
2012 “Three Arguments Against Prescription Requirements”
The Journal of Medical Ethics,
Editors’ Choice, with commentary by Nir Eyal, Adrienne Martin, and JS Taylor.
Chapters and Essays
2024 “Evading and Aiding: The Moral Case Against Paying Taxes”
(with Jason Brennan and Chris Freiman) Extreme Philosophy (Routledge)
2023 “Prohibition and Pandemic Risks” Pandemic Ethics: From Covid 19 to Disease X ( Oxford)
2023 “Credibility and the Standpoint Expectation” Georgetown Journal of Law and Public Policy.
2022 “Anarchism and Redistribution” Wealth and Power (Oxford)
2022 “Revisiting Pharmaceutical Freedom” HEC Forum
2022 “Leaderless Work and Workplace Participation” Debating Leaderless Management (Palgrave)
2022 “Public Health and Healthcare Policy” Routledge Companion to Libertarianism, (Routledge)
2021 “Deception and Sexual Harassment” Palgrave Handbook of Sexual Ethics, (Palgrave)
2021 “The Case for Decriminalizing Sex Work” Routledge Handbook on Philosophy of Sex and
Sexuality, (Routledge)
2020 “The Rawlsian Mirror of Justice” Symposium on Liberalism and Distributive Justice, Philosophy
and Public Issues)
2020 "Ethical failure and leadership – treatment and selection” Debating Bad Leadership: Reasons and
Remedies (Palgrave)
2019 "An Anarchist Defense of the Basic Income" The Future of Work, Technology, and Basic Income
(Routledge)
2018 "Coercion and Privatization" NOMOS
2017 "Libertarianism and Medicine" The Routledge Handbook of Libertarianism (Routledge)
2017 "Kantian Ethics, Wellbeing, and Disability" The Ethics of Ability and Enhancement (Palgrave)
2016 “Patient Driven Drug Development” Philosophical Issues in Pharmaceuticals (Springer)
2016 “Double Standards and Arguments for Tobacco Regulation” Journal of Medical Ethics,
2015 “The Ethics of Authentic Leadership” in Leadership and Ethics (Bloomsbury)
2015 “Can Social Costs Justify Public Health Paternalism?”
in New Perspectives on Paternalism and Health Care (Springer)
2014 “Employers’ Rights and the ACA” (modified version of “Economic Freedom and the ACA,”)
in The Affordable Care Act Decision: Philosophical and Legal Implications (Routledge)
2014 “The Perils of Public Health Regulation” Society
2013 “Commentary: An Argument for Permitting Amphetamines and Instant Release Methylphenidate”
American Journal of Bioethics,
2013 “Commentary: Refusal Rights, Law, and Medical Paternalism in Turkey” The Journal of Medical Ethics
2012 “Prescription requirements: a reply to Taylor, Martin and Eyal”
The Journal of Medical Ethics,
Reviews
2016 “Review: Values and Vaccine Refusal” Journal of Value Inquiry
2015 “Review Essay: What Money Can’t Buy” Leadership and the Humanities
2014 “Review Essay: Our Bodies Whose Property?”
APA Newsletter on Feminism and Philosophy
Collaborative Scholarship
2021 "The place of philosophy in bioethics today."
Blumenthal-Barby, Jennifer, Sean Aas, Dan Brudney, Jessica Flanigan,
S. Matthew Liao, Alex London, Wayne Sumner, and Julian Savulescu.
The American Journal of Bioethics
2021 "Racial justice requires ending the war on drugs."
Earp, Brian D., Jonathan Lewis, Carl L. Hart,
and Bioethicists and Allied Professionals for Drug Policy Reform.
The American Journal of Bioethics
Encyclopedia Entries
2024 “Ethical Leadership” The Sage Encyclopedia of Leadership Studies
2024 “Moral Risk” The Sage Encyclopedia of Leadership Studies
Upcoming Talks
Scheduled
Oct 10: "Political Equality and Gendered Labor" Harvard University
"Who Wants to be a Trillionaire?" Harvard University
Oct. 18: “Animal Offsets” Duke University
Oct 26: "Reciprocity and Regulation" APHA
Oct 29: "The Ethics of Wealth Inequality" Davidson University
Nov 8 “Chronic Pain Epistemology” U Colorado Boulder
Nov 9 "Pharmaceutical Freedom" The Fraser Institute, Toronto
Nov 15 "Sports Socialism" PPE, New Orleans
Mar 29 "Political Equality and Gendered Labor" Rhodes College
Apr 16 "The Purpose Project" Pacific APA
Recent
"The Ethics of Drug Development" University of Richmond Faculty Research Symposium
“Rethinking Chronic Pain” University of Buffalo
"Pharmaceutical Freedom" Vitalia
“Pounds of Prevention” University of Toronto
“Measuring the Mission” University of Arizona
Disability and Personal Identity University of Richmond Disability Justice Symposium
“Capitalism and Christian Motherhood” BYU
“Child Labor and Compulsory Education” Central APA
"Mere Adequacy and Motherhood" PPE Working Group
"Children and Sweatshops" PPE Society 2023
"Animal Offsets" PPE Society 2023
Teaching
Courses
Ethical Decision Making in Health Care
Leadership Ethics
The Purpose Project (2022-present)
Course Development Grant: Templeton Foundation (2023)
Leadership Ethics Applies In the Field (LEAF) (2023-present)
Public Speaking and Ethics Bowl
Course Development Grant: Institute for Citizens and Scholars (2023)
Course Development Grant: UR Democracy and Disagreement Initiative (2023)
Critical Thinking
Jepson Philanthropy Institute (2015)
Argument Mapping (2018, 2019)
Other Teaching
Science Scholars: Faculty Coordinator 2016-2020 and 2022-2024
Gary McDowell Institute: Faculty Discussion Leader 2022-present
Undergraduate Advising
Senior Honors Thesis Advisor
Freedom of Speech (2020-2021)
The Ethics of K-12 Education (2018-2019)
The Ethics of Higher Education (2016-2017)
Environmental and Business Ethics (2015-2016)
Medical Ethics (2013-2014)
Public Health Ethics (2012-2013)
Independent Research Advisor
Research Assistant Advisor (1x)
Independent Study Advisor (7x)
Summer Research Advisor (2x)
Graduate Student Mentorship
Graduate student mentorship
Institute for Liberal Studies (Philosophy advisor) 2022-2023
Institute for Humane Studies 2021-2022
External Ph.D. Reader
Tena Thau (Oxford University, DPhill in Philosophy)
Malia Dalesandry (George Mason University, Schar School of Policy and Government)
Awards and Recognition
Distinguished Educator Award (2020)
UR Last Lecture (2017)
ODK UR Faculty Member of the Year (2017)
Student Awards Ceremony Recognition for Mentorship (2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2024)
Westhampton College Recognition for Mentorship (2x) (2017)
ODK Recognition for Teaching and Mentorship (2013, 2016)
Senior Banquet Invited Speaker (2015, 2017)
Scholar-Athlete Recognition for Mentorship (2015)
Advising
I regularly advise Jepson Senior Honors Thesis projects.
I am an academic advisor for Jepson and PPEL students
I also advise and mentor graduate students. If you are an early-career scholar please feel free to contact me to talk about your work!
Ethics Bowl
I coached the Jepson Ethics Bowl teams in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2023. In addition to competing in their regions, four teams were semifinalists, and three teams participated in the APPE National Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl competition.
Pedagogy
WGSS Feminist Pedagogy Workshop
LGBTQIA Safe-Zone Certification
Jepson Philanthropy Institute (Resources for teaching Critical Thinking through effective altruism)
The Open Inquiry Toolkit (2020, created with Alec Greven)
Public Philosophy
Philosophy for Kids
Strange stories about big ideas
Philoswiftie
Public Lectures
"Meaning, Morality, and Regret" ODK Last Lecture
"Pharmaceutical Freedom" Hayek Lecture at Duke University
UR Ethics Fellow
Public ethics programming at UR
Jepson Forum
Media
Bylines
“Why Taylor Swift Songs are Philosophy” The Conversation, 2014
Reprinted in 35 outlets, including Fast Company, Miami Herald,The Houston Chronicle, and SF Gate
Taylor Swift vs. Bob Dylan Daily Nous, 2023
Russian Sanctions: The Helpful, the Harmful, and the Pointless (with Chris Freiman) Reason, March 2022
The Secret To Vaccinating Children: Off-Label Vaccinations Reason, September 2021
“The Ethics of Human Challenge Trials” Cato Unbound. Lead essay and two responses, March 2021
“DIY Vaccines and Citizen Science” The Benchmark, 2020
"The Case Against Voting for Charisma" The Conversation, 2019
Beyond the Fight for $15" The Benchmark, 2019
“The Feminist Case for a Universal Basic Income" Slate Magazine, January 2018
"Libertarianism and Medicine" The Washington Post, 2017
"The Ethics of Self-Medication” Cato Unbound.
“Politics and Anarchist Ideals” Center for a Stateless Society Mutual Exchange, June 2017
“Relational Egalitarianism and Politics” Pea Soup, March 2017
Pea Soup Ideas Award: First Place, Political Philosophy
“Why Sex Work Should Be Legal” Learn Liberty, March 2017.
“Whose Autonomy? Risk & The Politics of Vaccination” The Critique: Vaccines Belief & Autonomy; September 2015.
“A Feminist Libertarian Dilemma” Australian Broadcasting Corporation, March 2012
Bleeding Heart Libertarians Contributing writer
Conversations
Conversation with Tyler Cowen
Conversation with Peter Singer
Conversation with James Hamblin
Conversation with Wendy Chung
Podcasts and Video
The Religious Imagery of Taylor Swift, Billionaire Debate, Eras, & Dave Chappelle, Auxoro, 2024
“Does Taylor Swift Deserve Her Billion Dollar Fortune?” Open to Debate, 2024
Featured in Fast Company
“The Next Trillionaire” Scripps News Live, 2024
“Libertarianism” Practicing Health Equity 2023
“The Curious Case of Male Birth Control” Value Judgments 2023
“The Ethics of Parenting” Microdigressions with Spencer Case 2022
“The Case Against the FDA” Stranded Technologies Podcast
“The Ethics of Academia” The Ethics of Academia Podcast
“The Ethics of Sex Work” Listen and Think Podcast 2021
“Gattaca” Pop and Locke Podcast
Cato Daily Podcast "Pharmaceutical Freedom"
Society and the State "Why you should be able to get the drugs you need."
Free Thoughts "Pharmaceutical Freedom"
Rationally Speaking, "Why people should have the right to self-medicate."
The Rubin Report "Medical Ethics, Health Care, and Sex Work"
Interviews
NPR "“Bioethicist on Libertarian Views Toward Face Mask Laws” All Things Considered, 2020
Quartz "The case for prescribing Adderall to kids who don't have ADD" 2017
Trouw "We have a right to self-medication" (Dutch) 2014
Influence
When Dying Patients Want Unproven Drugs The New Yorker (2023)
Tax Legal Weed and Give the Money to Drug War Victims Daily Beast (2022)
Arizona Expands the Right To Try New Medical Treatments Reason (2022)
Flu Is Making A Comeback. Here’s What We Can Do About It Cato (2022)
More Anti-Opioid Tripe. This Time From Forbes - And Stanford ACSH (2022)
Opinion: Greg Abbott's vaccine demagoguery: Welcome to 'lethal partisanship' The Washington Post 2021
Opponents of COVID-19 vaccine mandates have a curious definition of 'freedom' HuffPost 2021
What happens when vaccine incentives aren't enough? Bloomberg 2021
Why Some Libertarians Support Vaccine Mandates VOA (2021)
Freedom of Contract in Bloomberg Opinion (2019)
Charisma in Bloomberg (2019)
Consumers' rights in Bloomberg (2019)
Drug policy in the McGill Tribune (2019)
Basic Income in the Green European Journal (2019)
Self-medication in Bloomberg Law (2019)
EpiPen pricing, Winston-Salem Journal (2016)
The EpiPen dilemma, WBFJ (2016)
Josh Hardy and experimental drugs, WRIC (2014).
Basic Income in the NYT (2013)
Pharmaceutical regulation and conflicts of interest, WRIC (2013).
Genetic diagnosis of disease, WRIC (2013).
Policy
Reports
Policy Brief: Scope of Practice Reform, The Center for Growth and Opportunity, 2021
Report: Public Health and Ideology, UK Faculty of Public Health, 2022
Talks and Consulting
"Comments on Drug Importation" Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources
“Moral Urgency and Self-Medication” Vitalia @ Prospera (2024)
1DaySooner Invited Speaker (2023)
Public Health Ethics and Law Event, London Public Health Registrars and the FPH (2023)
“Economic Freedom, Autonomy, and Challenge Trials” 1 Day Sooner (2023)
“The Case for Legalizing all Drugs” ILS Freedom Week (2022)
“Pharmaceutical Freedom” The Fraser Institute (2022)
“What is Neoliberalism?” Institute for Liberal Studies (2021)
“Defending our Right to Test—At Home Testing” Cato Institute (2021)
“The Case for Legalizing all Drugs” ILS Freedom Week (2020)
“COVID-19 and the Right to Test” Cato Institute (2020)
“Freedom of Expression at UR” Richmond Rotary Club (2020)
“Emancipation Workshop” Mercatus Center (2020)
“Why we should decriminalize sex work” The Fraser Institute (2019)
“Pharmaceutical Freedom” State Health Policy Summit, Dallas, TX (2019)
“Pharmaceutical Freedom” Cato Institute Health Care University (2019)
“Market Feminism: A Defense” Southern Methodist University, O'Neill Institute (2018)
“The Case for Off-Label Drug Marketing” Cato Institute (2018)
“Tobacco Control Ethics Meeting” Georgetown Law School (2018)
“Pharmaceutical Freedom” Mercatus Center (2017)
Ethics Champions Program- Trinity Health Systems (2017)
“Pharmaceutical Freedom” Cato Institute (2017)
Vox Conversations, Vox.com (2016)
“Responsibility and Regulation” Inspire2Live Annual Meeting (2015)
“The Perils of Public Health Regulation” Manhattan Institute (2013)
Riverside PACE—Elder care consulting (2012-2013)
Service
Jepson School of Leadership Studies- University of Richmond
Academic Affairs Committee (2012-2014) (2023-present)
Faculty Mentor (2022-present)
Undergraduate advisor (2012-present)
General Education Applications (2023)
Jepson Forum: Speaker series coordinator (2015-2016) (2023-2024)
Scholarship Committee (2016-2020) (2022-2023)
Science Leadership Scholars advisor (2016-2020) (2022-2024)
URISE and admissions presentations (2016-present)
Search Committee, Social Science (2019-2020)
Ethics Bowl Coach: Regional and national competitions (2013-2019)(2023)
Jepson Colloquium: Conference coordinator (2015-2016)
Search Committee Co-chair, Philosophy (2017-2018)
Search Committee, Social Sciences (2015-2016)
Curriculum Assessment Committee (2015)
Student Affairs/Admissions Committee (2014)
Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law- University of Richmond
PPEL Undergraduate Advisor (2016-present)
PPEL Advisory Committee (2014-present)
Search Committee, Philosophy (2016-2017)
Healthcare speaker series coordinator (2013-2014)
University of Richmond
Gary McDowell Institute student discussion leader (2022-present)
PEIC General Education Cohort (2023-present)
Faculty Technology Committee (2022-present)
Sustainability Committee (2017-2018) (2022-present)
Health Professions Advisory Committee (2016-2019) (2021-2023)
University Ethics Fellow (2018-2019)(2022-2023)
Health Studies Advisory Committee (2014-2022)
Deans Review Committee- RSB (2022)
Freedom of Expression Task Force (2019-2020)
Health Care Studies Search Committee (2019-2020)
Title IX Sexual Assault Prevention Committee (2018-2020)
Ethics Initiative (2017-2020)
College Fellow, Lora Robins Hall (2017-2020)
General Education Curriculum Review Committee (2018-2019)
Political Philosophy FLC/Ethics Working Group coordinator (2015-2019)
Summer Advising (2017-present)
Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Committee (2017)
Morrill Chair Search Committee (Ethics) (2016)
Strategic Planning: Academic Excellence Working Group (2016)
Westhampton College Student Affairs Committee (2014-2015)
Program Committees
American Society for Bioethics and Humanities philosophy subcommittee (2013-2016)
AMITNAPHIL Program Committee (2015-2016)
Editorial Boards
Public Affairs Quarterly
Politics, Philosophy, and Economics
Journal of Medicine and Philosophy
The Molinari Review
HEC Forum
Referee
American Society for Bioethics and Humanities—Philosophy Subcommittee • Australasian Journal of Philosophy • Bioethics • Canadian Journal of Philosophy • Criminal Justice Ethics • Ergo • Ethical Theory and Moral Practice •European Journal of Philosophy • HEC Forum • The Independent Review • Journal of the APA • Journal of Applied Philosophy • Journal of Bioethical Inquiry • Journal of Business Ethics • Journal of Ethics and Social Philosophy • Journal of Medicine and Philosophy • Journal of Medical Ethics • Journal of Social Philosophy • Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal • Law, Culture, and the Humanities • Law, Ethics, and Politics •Leadership • Leadership and the Humanities • Mercatus • Oxford University Press • Pacific Philosophical Quarterly • Palgrave • Philosophical Studies • Philosophical Quarterly • Political Studies • Politics Philosophy and Economics • PPE Society • Public Affairs Quarterly • Public Health Ethics • The Reason Foundation • Res Publica • Routledge • Social Philosophy and Policy • Social Theory and Practice •
Affiliations
American Philosophical Association
APEE
PPE Society
American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (philosophy subcommittee)
International Leadership Association