Ellie Palmer

PhD Philosophy

  • Philosophy
  • School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences

Contact details

Address

Street

40 George Square

City
Edinburgh
Post code
EH8 9JX

Biography

Background

Ellie Palmer is a PhD candidate specialising in Japanese metaphysics, death, and the spatio-temporality of identity. She has also worked closely within the areas of language, logic, and in particular, the teachings of Wittgenstein.

Qualifications

• MA Philosophy - University of Liverpool (Distinction)

• BA (Hons) Philosophy - University of Hull (First-Class)

Responsibilities & affiliations

Undergraduate teaching

  • PHIL08004 Logic 1, taught 4 undergraduate groups per week in a seminar-type setting
  • PHIL10229 Buddhist Philosophy, audited and taught Abhidharma philosophy to fourth-year undergraduate students

Postgraduate teaching

  • PHIL11231 Buddhist Philosophy, audited and taught Abhidharma philosophy to masters students

Research summary

Identity | Death and time | Japanese philosophy 

Current research interests

Much of her research interests involve the spatio-temporality of identity, and the intersection of identity and death in cultures across the world. Many western philosophers focus on this latter temporal aspect of identity, addressing issues such as sameness over time. However, she argues that the primary obstacle of ‘the problem of personal identity’ concerns spatiality, stemming from ambiguously defined physical and conceptual boundaries of identity, sameness and material constitution.

Past research interests

Language and linguistics | Logic | Wittgenstein | Semiotics

Knowledge exchange

• Research assistant/case writer for the 2024 St Andrews Ethics Cup

• Panel judge for the 2022 St Andrews Ethics Cup (Merseyside Region)

Project activity

Referring to Watsuji’s theory of the social self and ‘betweenness’ or “aidagara” (間), the first key part of her current project attempts to revise a theory of extended spatial identity, through expanding the idea of the social self to encompass a notion of identity which can be found embodied in both our interpersonal relationships, and our relationships with material artefacts.  After establishing this stance of an extended spatial boundary of identity, she explores the temporal implications of, for example, the self embodied by artefacts which may long outlive our bodily death. This involves the concept of symbolic immortality, whether our legacy and what we physically leave behind in the world has a deeper connection to our identity, and what this means for the existence and persistence of the self in the world after death. Her research also looks at the relevance of this theory on wider literature of Japanese culture and philosophy, as well as conceptions of self and death in Confucianism, Shintoism and Buddhism which influenced the historical formation of Japanese philosophy.

 

Projects and publications:

  • ‘Self and Other in Nishida Kitarō’, a review of Mayeda, G. ‘Japanese Philosophers on Society and Culture: Nishida Kitaro, Watsuji Tetsuro, and Kuki Shuzo’, European Journal of Japanese Philosophy (2024)
  • Review of ‘The Zen Buddhist Philosophy of D. T. Suzuki’ by Rossa Ó Muireartaigh, European Journal of Japanese Philosophy (2024)
  • Assistant editor of Symes, J. Philosophers on How to Live: Talking About Morality, Bloomsbury [under contract].
  • ‘Morality and the Posthumous Self: A Cross-Cultural Analysis’ [Journal article, TBA]
  • East Asian Philosophical Dictionary [Book project; Target publisher: Bloomsbury]

Current project grants

School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Science Postgraduate PhD Scholarship

Conference details

September 2024, ‘The Past in the Present’, European Network of Japanese Philosophy PhD Workshop, Tallinn University, Estonia

September 2024, ‘The Ethical and Temporal Implications of an Extended Spatial Identity in Japanese Philosophy.’ 8th ENOJP Conference, Tallinn University, Estonia

June 2024, ‘Morality and the Posthumous Self’, 6th International Conference on Philosophy and Meaning in Life, University of Liverpool

June 2024, ‘Surviving Death Through Watsuji and Tanabe: The Impact of Immortal Selfhood on Social Values’, Warwick Continental Philosophy Conference (Conference theme: ‘Approaching Value’), University of Warwick

 

Invited speaker

September 2024, 'Reflections on Space, Environment and Identity in Japanese Philosophy and Architecture', SESAM Identity, European Architecture Students Assembly

September 2024, 'Death, Nothingness and the Space of the Self', Demonax Philosophical Lectures Series, University of Cyprus

January 2024, ‘Aidagara and Caring’,  New Research in World Philosophies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

December 2023, 'Impermanence in the Yogasutra' 2023, Bloomsbury World Philosophies Series, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

November 2023, 'Death and Self in Japanese Philosophy’ World Philosophy Day Conference 2023, University of Hull

Novemeber 2022, 'Futures in Philosophy', World Philosophy Day Conference 2022, University of Hull

Organiser

Relating to Death, Relating to the Dead Conference (Key organiser)

  • Spearheaded the creation and execution of ‘Relating to Death, Relating to the Dead’, a conference in collaboration with the International Association for the Philosophy of Death and Dying, managing key elements such as budgeting, logistics, inviting speakers and participant engagement.
  • Keynote speakers: Dominic Wilkinson (Oxford), Michael Cholbi (Edinburgh), Michael Hauskeller (Liverpool)

Awarded the PPLS Training and Development grant of £1400 and Scots Philosophical Association Grant £1630.

October 2023, Japanese Philosophy Workshop (organiser/moderator)

  • Organised and moderated The University of Edinburgh’s Japanese Philosophy Workshop series.
  • Keynote speaker: Graham Parkes

September 2023, ISEAP Conference, organising committee member/moderator

Participant

March 2023, International Symposium for Japanese Phenomenology, University of Strasbourg

Papers delivered

 

 

In the press

PPLS Perspectives Podcast - The philosophy of grief with Prof. Michael Cholbi https://www.ed.ac.uk/.../episode-one-the-philosophy-of-grief

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