About

Ph.D., M.A., Georgetown; B.A., Brown

Susan Stark works in moral psychology and social philosophy. Her work in moral psychology focuses on emotions and the roles that they do, can, and ought to play in morality. In social philosophy, she is working on two projects: the first is a defense of the moral and social imperative of making reparations, not only for institutionalized slavery, colonialism, and genocide, but also for ongoing racist policies and white supremacy. Her second project focuses on reproductive ethics. Here she argues that so-called alternative approaches to childbirth (home birth and midwifery care, for example) can be important vehicles for addressing the childbirth emergency in the US, constituted by the exorbitant rates of maternal mortality in the US, which are especially high for Black and brown birthing mothers. Reproductive justice, she argues, requires that midwifery and obstetric care address structural racisms and other forms of oppression in their practices and in the education of their practitioners.

CV and Recent Publications

CV June 2024

Some Doubts About the Moral Value of Pity

Review of Developing the Virtues

A path to repair of the past

Home Birth and the Maternity Outcomes Emergency