Dr Remmon Barbaza presents at “Normativity in the Wild” at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (ETH Zürich)

Dr Remmon E Barbaza from the Department of Philosophy presented at the international workshop, “Normativity in the Wild,” hosted by the Professorship for Practical Philosophy at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (ETH Zürich). The three-day workshop, held from 9 to 11 October 2025, tackled the complex philosophical challenge of understanding how the “wild” can be a source of normativity—standards for moral rightness—beyond merely applying scientific principles. Discussions centered on questions like how to extend moral judgment to the wild without simply equating what is “natural” with what is “right” and by what criteria ethicists should judge phenomena like predation in nature. 

As one of only fifteen scholars invited from all over the world that included philosophers, an archaeologist, and a literary critic, Dr Barbaza read his paper on Friday, 10 October, titled, “Turning Our Gaze Back to the Wild as We Find Our Way Home.” We are proud to have Professor Barbaza represent the School and the Department of Philosophy at this important international forum, and we congratulate him on his valuable contribution to this cutting-edge discussion.

The full programme is attached below: