Important Dates

Dr Mpho Tshivhase (University of Pretoria, South Africa)

Competing Views of Uniqueness of Persons

Mpho Tshivhase is a South African philosopher who teaches applied ethics at the University of Pretoria. Her research is focused on uniqueness and individuality. As the first black South African woman to receive a PhD in philosophy (in April 2018 with a doctoral dissertation entitled "Towards a Normative Theory of Uniqueness of Persons"), Tshivhase was celebrated as "pioneering." Her achievement also opened discussions on the sociology of race and ethnic relations in South Africa. A primary question in Tshivase's research is whether uniqueness is an element of personal development that is worth pursuing at the expense of other things. Her overarching research concern aims to delineate what uniqueness amongst persons is and how humans relate to the concept of uniqueness.