Vaughn Papenhausen

Vaughn Papenhausen

papenhausen.2@osu.eduColumbus, OhioDownload PDF

Education

  • The Ohio State UniversityColumbus, OHPhD in PhilosophyDissertation: “Xanax for the Philosopher’s Soul: How to Stop Worrying About Nihilism” (advisor Tristram McPherson)
    August 2019 – April 2025
  • Haverford CollegeHaverford, PAB.A. in Philosophy, with honors; minor in German
    May 2018
  • IES Abroad BerlinBerlin, GermanySemester abroad, in partnership with Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
    Spring 2017
  • North Central State CollegeMansfield, OHAssociate of Technical Studies in Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology, with honors
    2012 – 2014

Areas of interest

Specialization
Metaethics, AI Safety
Competence
Normative Ethics, Engineering Ethics, AI Ethics, Chinese Philosophy

Conference presentations

  • “Can Nihilism Be Bad? Rethinking the Self-Defeat Argument”Ohio Philosophical Association
    April 2025
  • “Explaining the Explanatory Arguments for Hedonism”Kentucky Philosophical Association
    April 2024

Teaching experience

Primary instructor

  • Engineering Ethics
    OSU, Fall 2026(+async)OSU, Fall 2025(+async)OSU, Summer 2024(async)OSU, Summer 2022(online)
  • Computing Ethics
    OSU, Spring 2026
  • The Future of Humanity
    OSU, Fall 2025OSU, Spring 2024OSU, Fall 2023
  • Death and the Meaning of Life
    OSU, Spring 2025
  • Introduction to Ethics
    OSU, Fall 2024OSU, Fall 2022
  • Asian Philosophies
    OSU, Summer 2023OSU, Spring 2023

Teaching assistant

  • Moral Philosophy
    OSU, Spring 2022
  • Asian Philosophies
    OSU, Fall 2021(online)
  • Engineering Ethics
    OSU, Spring 2021(online)
  • Death and the Meaning of Life
    OSU, Fall 2020(online)
  • Happiness, Virtue, and the Good Life
    Haverford, Fall 2017 – May 2018
  • Intermediate GermanConducted in German
    Haverford, Fall 2017 – Spring 2018
  • Introductory GermanConducted in German
    Haverford, Spring and Fall 2016

Awards, honors, and scholarships

  • Honorable Mention, William H. Fink AwardThe Ohio State University
    2020 – 2021
  • University FellowshipThe Ohio State University
    Fall 2019 – Summer 2020
  • Cum LaudeHaverford College
    2018
  • Departmental Honors in PhilosophyHaverford College
    2018
  • Chesick Scholar
    2014 – 2018
  • QuestBridge Match Scholar
    2014 – 2018
  • Dean’s ListNorth Central State College
    2012 – 2014

Service

  • Treasurer, Ethics and Aesthetics Reading Group
    2022 – 2024
  • Coordinator, Graduate Student Workshop
    2021 – 2023

Languages

English
Native
German
Conversational — speak, read, and write (C1, but out of practice)

Graduate coursework

  • 8300 Open Society Liberalism (Piers Turner, audit)
    Fall 2024
  • 8300 AI Ethics (Tristram McPherson, audit)
    Spring 2024
  • 8300 Social Change (Sahar Heydari Fard, audit)
    Spring 2023
  • 5010 Teaching Philosophy (Tristram McPherson)
    Spring 2022
  • 8700 Pragmatism (Robert Kraut)
    Fall 2021
  • 8200 Plato (Allan Silverman)
    Spring 2021
  • 8800 Topics in Mind: Abstract Concepts (Richard Samuels)
    Spring 2021
  • 8650 Philosophy of Science (Chris Pincock)
    Spring 2021
  • 5193 Independent Study: AI Safety (Richard Samuels)
    Fall 2020
  • 5300 Advanced Ethics: Well-Being (Eden Lin)
    Fall 2020
  • 8200 Mathematics in Kant’s Critical Philosophy (Lisa Shabel)
    Fall 2020
  • 8700 Metaphysics: Carnap, Quine, Sellars (Richard Kraut)
    Summer 2020
  • 8500 Philosophy of Mathematics: Number (Stewart Shapiro)
    Spring 2020
  • 8300 Metaphysics of Normativity (Tristram McPherson)
    Spring 2020
  • 5500 Advanced Logic (Neil Tennant)
    Spring 2020
  • 5261 Phenomenology and Existentialism (Tamar Rudavsky)
    Spring 2020
  • 8750 Moral Epistemology (Declan Smithies)
    Fall 2019
  • 8300 Philosophy of Emotion (Justin D’Arms)
    Fall 2019
  • 8100 First Year Seminar (Chris Pincock, Abe Roth)
    Fall 2019
  • 5840 Philosophy of Cognitive Science (Richard Samuels)
    Fall 2019