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oh hey.

I am an assistant professor in the Department of Politics and University Center for Human Values, and associated faculty in the Department of Philosophy, at Princeton University. From Jan 2020-Dec 2021, I am also a research fellow in the Dianoia Institute of Philosophy at Australian Catholic University, in Melbourne, where I (would have spent) the months of June-July (were it not for COVID-19).

Starting September 2021, I will be an assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Michigan. But I will spend the academic year 2021-22 as a residential fellow at Harvard University's Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, working on finishing my book (Rewriting Rights; more info here!) 
​​My research explores questions like
  • how uncertainty about whether others are consenting, unjustly attacking, or promising ever affects (and if so, when) whether making a mistake would violate their rights,
  • how social norms can solve moral coordination problems, 
  • ​what the offensiveness of racial epithets and slurs can teach us about the semantics and pragmatics of language,
  • whether there are problems with basing inferences about individuals on statistics about their demographic groups,
  • whether algorithmic risk prediction tools can appropriately be used in service of policing, pre-trial detention decisions, or sentencing,
  • and whether moral considerations affect how much or what kind of evidence is needed to justify beliefs.
For more details, check out my research page.
Recent & Upcoming (Zoom) talks:
  • Mar 3 -- University of York  (Philosophy Colloquium): The Political Value of Transparency in Policing. 
  • Mar 12 -- Workshop on Ethics in Criminal Justice AI: Predictive Policing and a Fair Distribution Risk. Organized by Jeremy Davis and Duncan Purves.
  • April 12 -- University of California, San Diego (Political Theory Colloquium): Rewriting Rights
  • May 19 -- Surrey Centre for Law & Philosophy: TBD
  • May 27 -- St Andrews: TBD 
  • Sept 7-10 -- MANCEPT Workshop State of the Art: The Nature and Function of Rights: Keynote. Other keynotes: Nicolas Cornell (University of Michigan), Rowan Cruft (Stirling), Matthew Kramer (Cambridge), and Laura Valentini (LMU). Convenors: Giulio Fornaroli (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) and Cristián Rettig (Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez)
​past
From September 2017-July 2019, I was a postdoctoral research fellow in the School of Philosophy at Australian National University. My work there focused on the moral significance of risk, as part of an Australian Research Council (ARC) project with Seth Lazar, Lara Buchak, Alan Hajek, Philip Pettit, Frank Jackson, and Katie Steele.
Before that, ​I completed my Ph.D. in political philosophy at the University of Southern California (2017), working primarily with Jonathan Quong, Robin Jeshion, and Mark Schroeder. 
​Before that, I completed an M.A. in philosophy at Northern Illinois University (2012), as well as bachelor's degrees in fine arts (2010) and philosophy (2009) at Biola University.

other
​In my spare time, I paint. I've started a series of portraits of philosophers, painting various famous philosophers in style that highlights themes central to the philosopher's work. You can see those paintings here. 

links

Google Scholar
ORCID
PhilPeople
Academia.edu

contact

rjorgen@umich.edu
​
bolinger@princeton.edu
renee.bolinger@acu.edu.au
note: just one 'L' in 'Bolinger'
Pronouns: she/her/they