Headshot of Rebeccah Leiby

Rebeccah Leiby

Assistant Professor of Philosophy

Department: Philosophy

Office and address: Spence Pavilion-Religion/Phil., Office 112 2340 Campus Box Elon, NC 27244

Phone number: (336) 278-5702

Brief Biography

My name is Rebeccah Leiby (rhymes with 'lime tree'), but I publish under my initials (R.S. Leiby). I work primarily on political philosophy and ethics. My current research focuses on societal and individual recovery from mass trauma post-conflict.

From Spring 2022 to Spring 2023, I was the inaugural Hoffberger Ethics Fellow at the University of Baltimore's Hoffberger Center for Ethical Engagement (previously the Hoffberger Center for Professional Ethics), where I led a redesign of UBalt's general ethics curriculum. I continue to be affiliated with the Hoffberger Center for Ethical Engagement as a Research Fellow.

Links

Education

PhD Philosophy, Boston University (2022)
Graduate Certificate in Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Studies, Boston University (2019)
MA Philosophy, Boston University (2016)
BA Philosophy / Music, Lock Haven University (2012)

Courses Taught

  • PHL3340 Political Philosophy
  • PHL3560 Restorative Justice
  • PHL3706 Philosophy of Home
  • PHL3708 Video Games and Philosophy
  • PHL1120 How Should We Live?
  • PHL1100 What Can We Know?
  • COR1100 The Global Experience

Publications

  • "On the 'Allowables' of Violence in a Civic Crisis." In The Moral Psychology of Fear. Edited by Ami Harbin. London: Bloomsbury, 2025.
  • “Moral Injury, Punishment, and Blame.” In Crime, Violence, Justice: Philosophical Perspectives (Criminal Justice and Philosophy Series). Edited by M. Blake Wilson. Budapest: Trivent, 2025.
  • “Repotting Transitional Justice.” Social Philosophy Today (Special Issue: Conflict, Crisis, and Catastrophe) Vol. 40 (2024): 127-140.
  • “The Case for Rage in Transitional Justice: Lessons from the Anti-Racist Struggle.” International Journal of Transitional Justice (Special Issue: Race, Racism, and Transitional Justice) Vol. 18, No. 1 (March 2024): 18-31.

Outside of my day job, I am also a big fan of sci-fi. You can find my chapter contributions in Dune and Philosophy and The Expanse and Philosophy, both part of The Blackwell Philosophy and Popular Cultural Series edited by William Irwin.

Presentations

 

Professional Activities