Philosophy & Food

Emma Rose Hardy

I am a philosopher of food and a lecturer in philosophy at the University of Michigan, where I received my Ph.D. in 2026. I have been teaching philosophy at Michigan since 2019, with experience in introductory and interdisciplinary courses as well as ethics and philosophy of religion, and I am currently teaching political economy.

I’m drawn to the way philosophical questions arise in everyday life, and I enjoy learning from the different experiences and perspectives people bring to thinking them through. My research asks how social practices shape what foods are and how we understand them, and I am also interested in how food practices shape the people we become. Drawing on my work with farmers markets and other local food institutions, I write and speak for both academic and public audiences. I am also a member of the Culinary Mind Center for the Philosophy of Food.

A Los Angeles native, I did my undergraduate degree at Loyola Marymount University with honors in both Philosophy and Psychology. I live in Ann Arbor, Michigan with my two cats, Magnus and Tiny Cat.

Photo: Liz Barney