Patricia Marino

Professor
P. Marino portrait

Areas of interest

Ethical theory, applied ethics, social philosophy, epistemology, philosophy of economics, philosophy of sex and love

Areas of graduate supervision

  • Ethical theory
  • Applied ethics
  • Bioethics
  • Social philosophy
  • Epistemology
  • Philosophy of economics
  • Philosophy of sex and love
  • Ethics of AI
  • Values in science

Current Research

I have wide-ranging research interests, but my current projects are in ethics, philosophy of economics, the social and ethical aspects of algorithms, and methodologies of optimization more generally. Particular topics include: moral pluralism and bioethics, challenges to utilitarian ethical reasoning, the values that come into play in applying economic theory, the ways that algorithms can perpetuate unjust social patterns, and the use of mathematics in economic formalism.

My first book Moral Reasoning in a Pluralistic World (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2015) addresses the question: How should we reason morally in a pluralistic world, in which we share multiple values (honesty, fairness, benevolence etc.) but interpret and prioritize these in different ways?

I also work in philosophy of sex and love, and my most recent book Philosophy of Sex and Love: An Opinionated Introduction (Routledge Press, 2019), explores basic issues surrounding sex and love in today’s world, such as consent, objectification, non-monogamy, racial stereotyping, and the need to reconcile contemporary expectations about gender equality with our beliefs about how love works.

Selected publications

  • Moral Reasoning in a Pluralistic World (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2015).
  • "Value Pluralism and the Foundations of Normative Law and Economics: The Case of Threshold Deontology," forthcoming in Magdalena Małecka and Peter Cserne, eds., Law and Economics as Interdisciplinary Practice (Routledge). 

Complete list of publications

Selected grants, fellowships, awards

  • Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), Standard Research Grant, $60,669, 2011-2014. Project: Moral Reasoning in a Pluralistic World.
  • University of Waterloo, Outstanding Performance Award, for outstanding contribution in research and teaching, 2009, 2016.

Selected supervisions

  • Philosophy of Economics 
  • Sex, Dementia, and Consent
  • The Ethics of Deception in Caregiving: A Patient-Centered Approach

Contact information

pmarino@uwaterloo.ca
519-888-4567  x42779
Office: HH 329
Website