Arif Ahmed | |
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![]() Ahmed in 2013 | |
Born | Arif Mohuiddin Ahmed 18 March 1974 |
Nationality | British |
Academic background | |
Alma mater | St Anne's College, Oxford University of Sussex Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge |
Academic work | |
Discipline | Philosopher |
Sub-discipline |
Arif Mohuiddin Ahmed (born 18 March 1974) is a British philosopher and academic, who is the Director for Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom of the Office for Students, following his appointment in June 2023. [1] Before this, Ahmed was a philosopher at the University of Cambridge.
Ahmed was born on 18 March 1974 in Taunton, Somerset, England. [2] [3] He was educated at Bishop's Hull Primary School and Queen's College, an independent school in Taunton. [3] He studied mathematics at St Anne's College, Oxford, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1995. [4] He then changed direction and studied for a Master of Arts (MA) in philosophy at the University of Sussex, graduating in 1996. [3] [5] Next, he undertook a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in philosophy at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, [4] [6] which he completed in 2001. [5]
In 2000, he joined Girton College, Cambridge, as a college teaching officer. [5] [7] He was elected a fellow of Girton in 2004. [5] He became a fellow of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge in 2015. [6] The University of Cambridge promoted him to reader in philosophy in 2016. [8] [9] He was made Nicholas Sallnow-Smith College Lecturer by his college in 2019. [10] The university appointed him Professor of Philosophy in 2022. [11] His research interests include decision theory and the philosophy of religion, from an atheist and libertarian point of view. [6]
At Cambridge he was an advocate for the protection of freedom of speech. Ahmed was part of a network of academics associated with Peter Thiel and the online magazine Quillette originating around 2017 and centred around the university's Faculty of Divinity. [12] One of the group's first initiatives [13] was to invite Canadian psychologist and social media influencer Jordan Peterson for a visiting fellowship at the university. The university administration intervened to rescind Peterson's invitation, although Peterson eventually did visit Cambridge, which Ahmed hailed as an "important victory." [14] [15] [16] [17] In 2020, Ahmed also led opposition to the University's proposed amendments to its freedom of speech policy, ultimately concluding with the rejection of the amendments. [18] [19] He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to education. [20]
In late 2022 the Minister for Women and Equalities, and Trade Secretary, Kemi Badenoch MP, appointed Ahmed as new commissioner to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) Board. [21] He took up the post on 1 January 2023 for a four-year term. [22] He left the EHRC after being appointed Director for Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom at the Office for Students (OfS) in June 2023. [1] [23]
Ahmed is the author of the books Saul Kripke (Continuum Books, 2007), which analyses the philosophy of Saul Kripke, [24] and Evidence, Decision and Causality (Cambridge University Press, 2014), which defends evidential decision theory and critiques causal decision theory. [25] Ahmed is also the editor of both Wittgenstein's Philosophical investigations: A critical guide (Cambridge University Press, 2010) [26] and Newcomb's Problem (Cambridge University Press, 2018). [27]
Ahmed's parents migrated from India to the United Kingdom in the 1970s. [28] His father worked as a psychiatrist and his mother as a nurse. [28] He became an atheist as a teenager, having been raised a Muslim. [28] He has been described as a "new atheist". [29]
Ahmed's partner is Frisbee Sheffield, a classicist specialising in ancient philosophy. [28] [30] Together they have three children. [28]