Dean Joseph

Research Interests

Social and Political Philosophy, Democratic Theory, Animal and Disability Ethics, Social Epistemology

Biography

• B.A., Honours (Philosophy), Saint Mary’s University
• M.A. (Philosophy), Concordia University

I’m interested in why democracy matters. Many of us think it matters, but its value is increasingly disputed in political theory. My dissertation explores the idea that democracy enables us to co-author a shared society and asks how democratic values extend to animals, children, and persons with profound cognitive disabilities.

In a second research track, I ask how trust shapes our political life. I focus on how trust deepens political disagreements and when distrust is warranted. I approach these questions through cases involving marginalized minorities as well as conspiracy theories and echo chambers.

I am a Canada Graduate Scholar. In 2023, I was a research fellow at Concordia University’s Social Justice Centre and Montreal’s interuniversity Centre de recherche en éthique. In Fall 2026, I will be a visiting doctoral researcher in philosophy at the University of Arizona.

Publications

• “Trusting Conspiracy Theories” (2025) Social Epistemology: 1–14 (online first)