About Dr David Mitchell
Dr David Mitchell has been a faculty member in Philosophy at Northeastern University London since its foundation, as New College of the Humanities, in September 2012. He currently leads courses in the second and third years of the undergraduate curriculum and in the MA in Philosophy and Artificial Intelligence.
After obtaining his BA at Oxford, with a double first in Literae Humaniores, and also his DPhil, on problems of rationality in epistemology and ethics, he went on to teach philosophy successively at Leicester, Cambridge, and London Universities, as well as in the European programme of a consortium of U.S. universities. More recently he taught at Birkbeck and at the Aga Khan University’s Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations, in London.
Besides his work in academic philosophy, Dr Mitchell has taught classics and has also worked in international development, engaging in consultancy work with various UN agencies. In 2009, he obtained an MSc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics.
Qualifications
MSc in Development Studies (Merit), LSE (2009)
DPhil in Philosophy, University of Oxford (1988)
MA in Philosophy, University of Oxford (1988)
BA Hons in Literae Humaniores, University of Oxford (1979)
Professional Affiliations
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Aristotelian Society
Dr David Mitchell's Research
Dr Mitchell’s philosophical research has been mainly in ethics, in social and political philosophy, and in ancient philosophy. He has published articles and contributions to multi-author volumes in the fields of history of ethics, applied ethics, practical reasoning, social philosophy, and philosophical psychology, as well as book reviews in several areas of philosophy. Outside philosophy, he has pursued research in international development and has had published several English translations of musicological texts by Italian authors. His MSc dissertation was on democracy support in post-Soviet settings, and more recently his main research activity has been in social and political thought, particularly those aspects of their history in the West that may be relevant to philosophical questions about international development today. He is currently working on a book-length treatment of ideas of corruption and the corrupt.
Dr Mitchell has been convenor since 2012 of the university’s all-faculty research discussion group, the Ottoline Club.
Recent Publications
‘On Corrupt Institutions’, Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, published online, February 2024, doi.org/10.1080/13698230.2024.2318171
With M. Monzel, F. Macpherson, J. Pearson, and A. Zeman, ‘Proposal for a consistent definition of aphantasia and hyperphantasia: A response to Lambert and Sibley (2022) and Simner and Dance (2022)’, in Cortex, volume 152, July 2022, pp.74-76
With M. Monzel, F. Macpherson, J. Pearson, and A. Zeman, ‘Aphantasia, dysikonesia, anauralia: call for a single term for the lack of mental imagery – Commentary on Dance et al. (2021) and Hinwar and Lambert (2021)’, in Cortex, volume 150, May 2022, pp.149-152
Recent Conference Contributions
‘Corruption in Practices and the Corruption of Practices’, paper delivered at the triennial conference of the Società Italiana di Filosofia Analitica, held at the University of Eastern Piedmont, Italy, in September 2023
‘Moralism and Anti-Corruption’, paper delivered at the Political Normativity and Ethics conference held at the University of Granada, Spain, in May 2023
Dr David Mitchell's Teaching
Dr Mitchell has led undergraduate courses at the university in Ethics, Ancient Philosophy and Political Philosophy, and contributed as tutor to the Epistemology course. He designed and has been course leader of three MA courses, in History of Ethics, Ancient Philosophy and Political Philosophy. He also gives regular extra-curricular Greek and Latin classes to interested students and faculty.
Teaching Appointments
Northeastern University London, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy (2012 – present)
Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations, Aga Khan University, London, Visiting Lecturer (2007 – 2012)
Birkbeck, University of London, Honorary Fellow, School of Philosophy (2007 – 2012)
Rhodes College, Memphis, and University of the South, Sewanee, USA, European Studies Program held at Lincoln College, Oxford University, Lecturer in Greek Philosophy (1995 – 1998)
Cambridge University, University Assistant Lecturer in Ancient Philosophy, Faculty of Philosophy, member of Darwin College, member of Philosophy Faculty Board (1992 – 1993)
London University Department of [subsequently Centre for] Extra-Mural Studies (1989 – 1995)
Leicester University, Assistant Lecturer in Philosophy (1987 – 1988)
Faculty Positions
Associate Professor, Philosophy
PPE / PPH Co-ordinator
Library and Learning Resources Officer, Philosophy
Languages Spoken
Italian fluently, French proficiently