Lex Academic®

We are delighted to announce that the 2023 joint winners of the international Lex Academic Philosophy Scholarship are Stella Moon (University of California, Irvine) and James Clark Ross (University of Southampton).

We received a very high number of applications, but the panel unanimously agreed that their thesis projects were remarkably original, thoroughly grounded in the relevant literature, and of serious interest and significance beyond the academy. Our deepest congratulations to them both!

Moon’s doctoral project, Husserlian Philosophy of Mathematical Practice: An Empathy-First Approach, develops Husserlian phenomenological methods for studying contemporary philosophy of mathematics and mathematical practice. She argues that empathy, or understanding mathematics from the perspective of mathematicians via their historical motivation, is an important part of any Husserlian method. Despite the recent preferences of philosophers to adopt the methods of empirical and social sciences, Moon offers philosophical methods for studying mathematics and mathematical practice, demonstrating how fruitful such methods can be in our philosophical pursuits concerning mathematics.

Ross’ doctoral research, Grounding and Causation, investigates two substantive accounts of the relation between grounding and causation. The first is a theory of metaphysical analogy according to which ‘ground’ is distinct but analogous to ‘cause’ (their properties relating to a single specification); the second, which draws on the work of Margaret Cameron, is a theory of systematic homonymy, according to which ‘ground’ and ‘cause’ are systematically homonymous (i.e., they bear definitional overlap). Neither attempt at explicating the unity between grounding and causation has hitherto been explored in the literature.

Moon accepted her award with the following words:

The Lex Academic Philosophy Scholarship comes with a free proofreading service. For some neurodiverse philosophers (including myself), proofreading their own work can be an extremely difficult and time-consuming task. With the scholarship, I can now focus on clarifying my philosophical thoughts, instead of stressing out about possible grammatical/spelling errors.

And Ross:

I am absolutely delighted to accept the Lex Academic Philosophy Scholarship. The money will be put to good use, I can assure you, and I am certain Lex Academic’s world-class editorial services will improve my thesis significantly. On a more personal note, the award gives me an opportunity to celebrate how far I’ve come with my dyslexia. Thank you once again!

The Lex Academic Philosophy Scholarship is a highly competitive award, designed to recognise the important contribution of dyslexic individuals to academic research and broader society. Often meeting with discouragement in mainstream education, we believe that exceptionally promising dyslexic students deserve investment and support, helping them to realise the potential of their ideas. In addition to a bursary of £500, Lex Academic Scholars receive our five-star academic proofreading services gratis for their entire thesis.

In their applications for the scholarship, Moon and Ross respectively wrote:

I would strongly benefit from some editing and/or proofreading assistance…The financial support and the free proofreading service would greatly help me in completing my dissertation…I also want to share my appreciation for the existence of this scholarship. I strongly believe this opportunity would be beneficial for the community of dyslexic writers and academics in philosophy. (Moon)

Being the holder of the Philosophy Scholarship would vastly benefit me and my studies. Financially, the bursary would buy me more time to study (instead of working) and pay for my travel to and from the university to use its facilities. Being able to say I am in receipt of a scholarship from Lex Academic would not only be a source of pride, it would make for a distinguishing feature on my curriculum vitae. Perhaps most significantly, I stand to benefit hugely from Lex Academic’s experienced editing team.  I have faith in Lex Academic as a service with clear vision and integrity. I really believe I can be one of your next success stories. (Ross)

The 2024 Lex Academic Philosophy Scholarship will be advertised in September 2023. To be eligible to apply for an award, you must hold an offer of admission for a postgraduate Philosophy degree with a thesis or extended project component. While there are no country restrictions for these awards, your thesis must be written in English. You may also apply for an award if you have already begun your postgraduate degree. You must have been diagnosed with dyslexia by an educational psychologist to be eligible for an award.

Contact scholarships@lexacademic.com to enquire or apply.