Hrishikesh Joshi supports the Freedom Center’s commitment to promoting research, education, and events that uphold individual freedom and respect diverse perspectives. Additionally, he was attracted to UArizona’s reputation as a premier research institution and its highly regarded political philosophy program.
Hrishikesh has enjoyed transitioning to Tucson, noting, “I love the desert landscape here. It is very different from Ohio.”
He came to UArizona from Bowling Green State University, where he was also an Assistant Professor of Philosophy. Before that, he was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Michigan, Department of Philosophy. He completed his Ph.D. at Princeton University under the supervision of Gideon Rosen, Michael Smith, and Philip Pettit.
Hrishikesh’s research focuses on normative issues at the intersection of philosophy, politics, and economics (PPE). He also works on meta-ethics and ethical theory. He is keenly interested in the issue of viewpoint inclusivity and the benefits of a society where people can speak freely.
His 2021 book, Why It’s OK to Speak Your Mind, offers a novel defense of speaking one’s mind, especially in today’s polarized world. Hrishikesh explains that because people are social creatures, we never truly think alone and draws from Aristotle, John Stuart Mill, Friedrich Nietzsche, Bertrand Russell, and other contemporary thinkers.
“What we know depends on what those around us know, and by speaking our minds and encouraging others to do so, we improve our ability to find the truth,” he says.
Similarly, two of Hrishikesh’s published articles, “What Are the Chances You’re Right About Everything? An Epistemic Challenge for Modern Partisanship,” in Politics, Philosophy & Economics and “The Epistemic Significance of Social Pressure,” in Canadian Journal of Philosophy highlight the need for people to seek out diverse perspectives as a catalyst for better decision-making.
“There are many issues that travel together within partisan communities, but intuitively, they don’t seem to have much to do with each other,” Hrishikesh notes. “So particular views on abortion will travel with particular views on minimum wage and climate change, even though they are unrelated.”
His perspective goes beyond political ideology, asserting that viewpoint diversity is critical to strong organizational leadership.
“CEOs that surround themselves with like-minded thinkers will never have a full perspective, which distorts decision-making. However, if there is an open exchange of ideas and even constructive conflict, leaders can make informed choices, which lead to better outcomes,” Hrishikesh concludes.
Hrishikesh grew up in India and St. Kitts & Nevis, a small Caribbean country. Apart from “philosophizing,” he enjoys keeping fish tanks and playing Go, an ancient strategy board game invented in China over 3000 years ago.
