Research output per year
Research output per year
I'm an AHRC NWCDTP-funded Doctoral Researcher in the Department of Philosophy, School of Social Sciences at The University of Manchester, United Kingdom, conducting my doctoral research in Applied Ethics and African Philosophy entitled 'Conceptualizing Individual Moral Obligation: A Case for Collectively Insignificant Outcomes'. My research seeks to address the problem of collective impact—inconsequentialism—vis-à-vis climate change, political participation, and related collective action problems. I double as a Research Associate at the Decoloniality Research Group at the University of Pretoria, South Africa; and a member of the elite Conversational School of Philosophy (CSP), Calabar, Nigeria.
My current research interests centre on Applied Ethics, Moral Philosophy, African Philosophy, Poverty and Inequality, Conversational Philosophy, and Social and Political Philosophy.
Current Research
One of the most important and urgent collective harm problems facing the world today is the problem of global climate change. Increasingly across the world and especially in developing countries, in recent years, there has been a growing sense of moral resignation by individuals to act in morally relevant ways because of the general belief that their singular positive acts cannot make a difference—collectively. Issues concerning collectively insignificant actions and their outcomes and individual moral responsibility for resolving them are of global concern. The idea that, as individuals, our choices and actions have little to no effect on the general scheme of things, particularly in changing the status quo, is responsible for many moral derelictions in our world today, which have had many negative effects on the human and non-human environment. This is the problem of inconsequentialism. This problem—what I prefer to call the ‘problem of collectively insignificant individual actions'—is most visible in the areas of climate action, political participation, and related collective impact cases. My doctoral research seeks to address the inefficacy challenge—that is, inconsequentialism—raised by collective impact problems in the contexts of climate change and political participation from an African perspective.
Thesis Supervisors:
Prof. John O’Neill
Prof. Christopher Daly
Teaching Assistantships
Introduction to Ethics [PHIL10021] — 2024-25
University of Pretoria
Ethics and Political Philosophy [PHIL120] — 2021
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Master of Arts, Philosophy, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa. Dissertation: 'The Moral Implications of Odera Oruka’s ‘Human Minimum’ for Africa’s Fight Against Extreme Poverty' (Supervised by Prof Jonathan O. Chimakonam)
Award Date: 5 Sept 2023
Bachelor of Arts, Honours (with Distinction), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa. Mini-Dissertaion: 'The Paradox of Ambivalent Human Interest in Innocent Asouzu's Complementary Ethics' (Supervised by Prof Jonathan O. Chimakonam)
Award Date: 4 May 2022
Bachelor of Arts, (First Class Honours), University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria.
Award Date: 23 Feb 2017
Research Assistant, University of Pretoria
26 Jun 2023 → 30 Sept 2023
Postgraduate Representative, University of Pretoria
1 Jan 2023 → 5 Sept 2023
Research Intern, Basic Rights Counsel Initiative (BRCI)
1 Dec 2022 → 6 Jan 2023
Teaching Assistant, University of Pretoria
23 Aug 2021 → 30 Nov 2021
Graduate Assistant, University of Calabar
7 Jan 2020 → 15 Sept 2023
Coordinator and Publicist, Poets in Nigeria (PIN)
Jan 2016 → Dec 2017
Founder/Executive Director, Responsive Education Movement
Jan 2014 → Aug 2023
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Ben, P. (Recipient), 10 Feb 2021
Prize: Fellowship awarded competitively
Ben, P. (Recipient), 1 Oct 2023
Prize: Fellowship awarded competitively
Ben, P. (Recipient), 6 Jun 2024
Prize: National/international honour
Ben, P. (Recipient), 24 Nov 2020
Prize: Fellowship awarded competitively
Ben, P. (Recipient), 1 Jan 2022
Prize: Fellowship awarded competitively
Duda, L. (Co-Organiser), Ben, P. (Co-Organiser), Morgan Jones, J. (Co-Organiser) & Garcia Aguilar, O. (Co-Organiser)
Activity: Participating in or organising event(s) › Organising a conference, workshop, exhibition, performance, inquiry, course etc › Research
Ben, P. (Academic expert member)
Activity: Membership › Membership of network › Research
Ben, P. (Academic expert member)
Activity: Membership › Membership of network › Research
Ben, P. (Speaker)
Activity: Talk or presentation › Oral presentation › Research
Ben, P. (Member)
Activity: Membership › Membership of committee › Research
18/09/24
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Blogs and social media
18/09/20
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Blogs and social media