麻豆精选

• PhD in Philosophy, University of Western Australia (UWA)
• Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Philosophy, UWA

• MA Education

Laura D'Olimpio supervises postgraduate research students working in the fields of philosophy and philosophy of education. 

She has particular expertise in the following areas:

• Moral education
• Moral philosophy and applied ethics
• Aesthetics; particularly aesthetics and ethics
• Philosophy in schools
• Media, mass art, technology and digital literacy
• Philosophy of film and literature
• Virtue ethics and character education
• Public philosophy

Laura’s recently published second monograph, (2024, Bloomsbury), defends the necessity of arts education for all school-aged students on the basis of its distinctive value. In this ‘manifesto’, Laura claims that life without access to aesthetic experiences is diminished and therefore educators have a responsibility to cultivate a receptiveness to what the multiple and various arts offer. You can hear her being interviewed on this topic on ABC Radio National’s ‘: ‘How important is aesthetic education?’ which aired in February 2025.

Laura’s first monograph, (Routledge, 2018), claims that philosophical thinking skills support the adoption of an attitude she calls ‘critical perspectivism’. Critical perspectivism gives citizens the ability to engage with multiple perspectives, particularly those received via online media, in a critical and compassionate manner. This monograph won the 2018 PESA (Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia) Annual Book Award.

Laura is currently writing a textbook designed to support the teaching of Philosophy of Education. Co-authored with Jane Gatley and Ruth Wareham, Philosophy of Education is due to be published in 2025 in Palgrave’s ‘Philosophy Today’ book series. The key concepts explored in this book include learning, teaching, indoctrination, knowledge, equality, intelligence, virtue, and rights. Each chapter firstly examines one key concept which is then connected to a theorised aim of education. The aims considered are rationality (i.e. critical thinking), epistemic, social justice, vocational, flourishing, and political (i.e. citizenship). Each chapter concludes with a third section connecting the key concept and aim of education under discussion to an applied example. Also included are study and research tools such as suggestions for further readings, research or essay questions and a chapter summary.

A proponent of public philosophy, Laura has also edited a public philosophy book, (2023, Icon Books). Here, 50 ‘big questions’ are explored with short, quick-fire and longer answers, plus an illustrated concept or thought experiment accompanying each key idea. The book also contains mind maps and definitions, along with resources for further exploration into the topics that are of most interest.