Rate My Professor Lisa Ellis

Ellis researches the political philosophy of Immanuel Kant, social contract theory, Thomas Hobbes’s political theory, environmental policy, just transitions, climate adaptation, biodiversity management, and the collective ethics of flying. Her current book project is “The Politics of Planetary Boundaries,” and she contributes to funded initiatives such as Partner Investigator on the Australian Research Council’s “The Ethics of Net Zero” (2023–2026), Associate Investigator on “Climate Reporting Effectiveness” (External Reporting Board, 2023–2027), and “A Just Transitions Guide for Aotearoa New Zealand” (MBIE, 2022–2023). Major publications include monographs Kant’s Politics: Provisional Theory for an Uncertain World (Yale University Press, 2005) and Provisional Politics: Kantian Arguments in Policy Context (Yale, 2008); edited volumes Kant’s Political Theory: Interpretations and Applications (Pennsylvania State University Press, 2012) and associate editorship of The Encyclopedia of Political Thought (John Wiley and Sons, 2015). Recent articles are “A Social Contract Case for a Carbon Tax: Ending Aviation Exceptionalism” (Revista de Ciencia Política, 2024), “On All Fronts: How to End Aviation Exceptionalism” (Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 2026, with James Maclaurin and James Higham), and “Do New Zealand Select Committees Still Make a Difference? The Case of the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill 2019” (Political Science, 2022, with Will Dreyer). She received the First Book Prize from the American Political Science Association’s Foundations of Political Theory section (2006), fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and Institute for Advanced Study, and various research grants. Ellis teaches courses including PHIL 235 Environmental Philosophy, PHIL 103 Ethical Issues, and PPE internships, and has supervised PhD theses on climate adaptation and animal justice, among others.