Dr Richard Elliott

Overview

Biography

I am an Associate Lecturer in Philosophy at Birkbeck, University of London. I am also Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Reading. Before that, I was a Postdoctoral Fellow for the British Society for the History of Philosophy.

I have published on themes in 19th and 20th Century Philosophy, drawing on the works of figures such as Nietzsche, Adorno, Heidegger, Freud, Fanon, Wagner, and others. I am also interested in topics in Early Modern Philosophy, as well as ethics, aesthetics, and the philosophy of religion.

Office hours

Please book an appointment by email.

Web profiles

• PhilPapers Profile

Administrative responsibilities

• BA Philosophy Admissions Tutor 2023 - 2025

Research

Research overview

Current Primary Research:

i. I have several papers recently published, forthcoming, or under review on Nietzsche’s contributions to topics in ethics, moral psychology and philosophical psychology.

ii. My personal research on Fanon concerns his moral psychology, theory of action, and his conception of humanism. I have proposed to edit a volume with the tentative working title of Fanon as Philosopher, which is under review.

iii. I am currently writing two research papers on themes from the work of Theodor Adorno. Some of the provisional fruits of this research will be presented at the Oxford University Critical Theory Seminar in February 2026 (more information here).

iv. I occasionally produce research on the later Heidegger. I have a paper on Heidegger's conception of nihilism, metaphysics and its 'overcoming' under review.

Supervision and teaching

Supervision

I have supervised undergraduate and graduate Birkbeck students on topics across post-Kantian and 20th century European philosophy, political philosophy, metaphysics of agency, methods of genealogy, Spinoza, social philosophy (including theories of recognition and punishment), and the later Wittgenstein.

I am happy to receive inquiries for supervisions

A note to the prospective inquirer: while my areas of research are firmly within the 19th and 20th century traditions of post-Kantian philosophy, the emphatic aim of supervision is to promote the philosophical virtues of clarity and scholarly precision, in these areas. I ultimately distinguish only between philosophy done well and philosophy not done well. Overtly floral and vague writing often acts to mask a lack of substance; as such, it will be discouraged. 

Teaching

Teaching modules

• Themes in Twentieth-Century French and German Philosophy (Level 7)
• Research in Practical Philosophy
• London: Places, Objects, Ideas
• Critical Thinking (Level 4)
• The Philosophy of Nietzsche (Level 7)
• The Humanities and Social Sciences: Global Issues in Historical Perspective

Business and community

Outreach