Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas, University of Oslo. P.O. Box 1020 Blindern. N-0315 Oslo, Norway

Centre for Development and the Environment (SUM), University of Oslo
Box 1116 Blindern 0317 Oslo, Norway

 + 47 22 85 87 95 (office)
 + 47 924 45 441 (cell phone)
 + 47 22 85 89 20 (fax)

espen.gamlund@ifikk.uio.no

For a detailed list of all publications, lectures, media, etc., see link to FRIDA

I am a philosopher and Research Fellow at the Department of Philosophy, University of Oslo, Norway. I am also a Visiting Researcher at the Centre for Development and the Environment (SUM), University of Oslo. Currently I am working on my PhD thesis in philosophy. The working title of my thesis is The Morality of Forgiveness. See link for more information about my project.

Fields of interest

• Ethics and Moral philosophy
• Environmental Ethics and Politics
• Political Philosophy
• Poverty, Foreign Aid and Morality
• Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies
• Spinoza
• Eastern Philosophy                                                                      

Doctoral project
The preliminary title of the PhD project is The Morality of Forgiveness. The thesis is basically concerned with the moral philosophy of forgiveness. Central questions to be examined include the following: When should we forgive those who wrong us? Do have sometimes have a duty to forgive? Is forgiveness sometimes supererogatory, i.e. beyond the call of duty? The project is primarily conducted within the framework of moral philosophy, but it aims to connect to other academic fields of research as well, including psychology, theology and religious studies.

The Ethics Program
I am a Research Fellow at The Ethics Program, University of Oslo. The Ethics Program (2002-2011) is an interdisciplinary and cross-faculty research programme, and one of the University of Oslo's prioritised research areas. Its overriding aim is to promote and support ethics research and normative reflection at the University of Oslo. The Ethics Programme runs an interdisciplinary Research School, as well as providing stimulation funds for ethics research and teaching at the University. The Ethics Programme also coordinates a series of national research courses through the Norwegian Ethics Network, runs the site www.etikk.no, hosts the fortnightly Ethics Seminar at the University of Oslo, and the annual Oslo Lecture in Moral Philosophy.

Environmental Ethics Seminar Series 
The Environmental Ethics Seminar (Seminaret i Miljøetikk) is a seminar series hosted by the Centre for Development and the Environment, University of Oslo. The aim of the seminar is to be a forum for interdisciplinary discussion and debate on issues relating to ethics and the environment. Through lectures the seminar seeks to bring together students, researchers, and others with an interest in ethical issues relating to the environment.

Poverty and Development (PAD)
I am an assosiate member of a research project on poverty and development at the Centre for Development and the Environment (SUM), lead by Associate Professor Dan Banik. An important part of the research project is the PAD Seminar Series, arranged evey other week at the Centre. 

Arne Naess Chair in Global Justice and the Environment
I function as Academic Advisor for The Centre for Development and the Environment (SUM), University of Oslo, in the establishment of Arne Naess Chair in Global Justice and the Environment. The aim of this Chair is to invite leading international scholars to conduct research on areas and fields of research covered by the broadly understood conception of global justice and the environment. This includes research topics such as social justice, global justice, ecology, environmental ethics, justice, politics and philosophy, as well as peace studies, to name a few of the most relevant fields of research. The background for the establishment of this Chair is a wish to preserve the legacy of Arne Naess, and his philosophical and academic achievements. The departure for the Arne Naess Chair in Global Justice and the Environment, is 2007.

Publications in English

"Who Has Moral Status in the Environment? A Spinozistic Answer," The Trumpeter, vol 23, Nr 1 2007, pp. 3-27.

"Arne Naess`s Humanistic Ethic: Personal Impressions and Reflections," The Trumpeter, vol 22, Nr 2/2006, pp. 103-115.

“The Moral Basis of Vegetarianism,” in Matthias Kaiser and Marianne Lien (Eds), Ethics and the Politics of Food. Wageningen: Wageningen Academic Publishers, pp. 123-128.

Publications in Norwegian

“Spinoza og konfliktløsning - et frigjøringsperspektiv,” Norsk Filosofisk Tidsskrift, vol 40, nr 1/2005, s 38-56.

“Hvem har moralsk status i naturen? Et spinozistisk argument,” Parabel - tidsskrift for filosofi og vitenskapsteori, vol VII, nr 2/2004, s 41-68.

“Kan Spinozas etikk forstås som interpersonlig og holistisk?” Agora, nr 2-3/2003, s 149-174.

Work in progress (please do not use material without permission)

The Morality of Forgiveness (PhD thesis)

The duty to forgive repentant wrongdoers (article)

Ondskap og tilgivelse (paper draft in Norwegian)

The Moal Status of Animals: A Case for Vegetarianism (article)

Unpublished work

Hvem har moralsk status i naturen? Et mulig biosentrisk og økosentrisk svar i lys av Spinozas etikk (Master`s thesis in philosophy, short English version of the thesis is forthcoming in The Trumpeter 2007, see above)

Media

"Uunngåelig dommedag?" (Unavoidable Day of Judgment?), chronicle in Nytid 18.5.2007 on James Lovelock`s pessimistic climate forecasts.

"Moralsk Betenkelig," (Morally problematic), chronicle in Dagbladet 13.4.2007 on climate change and ethics.

"Tilgivelse eller hevn?" (Forgiveness or revenge?), interview in Apollon Nr 1 2007.

Debate in the wake of my chronicle "Har dypøkologien en fremtid?" in Morgenbladet 06.01.2006 ( For an English version, see "The Future of Deep Ecology") 

- Lite langsiktig strategi (response by Morten Tønnessen)

- Vi vil jo endre premissene... (response from Sondre Båtstrand)

- Den dypeste grunn? (response from Sven Anders Noer Lie)

- Fandens Publikum (response from Petter Erik Leirhaug)

- Dypøkologien har en utfordring (my first response)

- Dypøkologi og politikk (second response form Sondre Båtstrand)

- Dypøkologisk forvirring (response from Bjørn Brunstad)

- Dypøkologien må endre kurs (my second response)


Lectures

"What`s Happening to Næss? Do We Need Environmental  Ethics?" (Lecture given at the What`s Happening to Gaia Symposium, University of Oslo April 27th, 2007).

Kan vi tilgi det utilgivelige? Om tilgivelsens plass i mellommenneskelige forhold (Foredrag under Faglig-Pedagogisk Dag, Universitetet i Oslo 2007)

Spinoza

Spinoza`s Ethics (billingual, Latin-Norwegian)

Spinoza`s Tractatus Intellectus Emendatione

Spinoza`s Tractatus Politicus

Spinoza`s Epistola (letters)

Alphabetical Index of Spinoza`s Ethics