Jonathan Anomaly

Jonathan Anomaly is an American academic known for his work in philosophy, politics, and economics (PPE). Anomaly is the Academic Director of the Center for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics in Quito, Ecuador, where he designed the first PPE master's program in Latin America. His research covers a wide range of topics, including public health ethics, genetic enhancement, and collective action problems. Anomaly has taught at several universities around the United States, including Duke University, the University of North Carolina, and the University of Pennsylvania.
==Early Life and education==
Anomaly was born in Hawaii and spent his formative years in Southern California. He pursued his undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley, focusing on philosophy and economics. Subsequently, he earned a Master’s degree from Columbia University and completed his PhD at Tulane University, where he was awarded a fellowship from the Murphy Institute of Political Economy.
==Career==
In December 2012, Anomaly won a teaching award for a course he had designed and taught at Duke University and UNC Chapel Hill.
Anomaly serves as the Academic Director of the Center for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics in Quito, Ecuador. He is also the architect behind the first Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) master's program in Latin America, which commenced in 2023. Prior to his role in Ecuador, Anomaly contributed to the development of PPE programs at the University of North Carolina, Duke University, and the University of Pennsylvania.
Anomaly's publications advocate genetic enhancement and have also addressed ethical concerns associated with factory farming. He co-edited Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (Oxford University Press) in 2015 with Australian philosopher Geoff Brennan, American economist Mike Munger and Geoff Sayre-McCord. His second book, Creating Future People (Routledge Press) was published in 2024. This book considers the trade-offs involved in selecting traits for future generations, ranging from disease and health traits to cognitive abilities.
In 2018, Anomaly was invited to participate in a symposium giving arguments for and against eugenics. His paper, “Defending Eugenics,” kicked off a debate in the journal Monash Bioethics Review and in the broader profession about how we should use words like "eugenics" and "genetic enhancement."
In 2021, Anomaly gave a talk at the University of Colorado expressing concern that American universities had become ideologically captured, and that many departments were promoting political ideology over the pursuit of truth.
Anomaly has published several articles on collective action problems such as antibiotic resistance, focusing on the overuse of antibiotics in animal agriculture. In his paper, “Cognitive Enhancement and Network Effects,” Anomaly and his co-author argue that the case for using embryo selection to increase intelligence is strengthened by the fact that it has positive network effects.
Along with Peter Singer, Nicholas Agar, and Walter Veit, Anomaly co-authored an article titled “Can ‘Eugenics’ be Defended?” In the article, they argued that “genetic enhancement” is just a euphemism for “eugenics,” and that instead of obsessing over the meaning of the word “eugenics” we should focus on the substance of arguments for and against different kinds of genetic interventions.
==Awards and recognitions==
Anomaly has received several teaching awards including the Spirit of Inquiry Award from the John W. Pope Center for Higher Education Policy. 
==Selected publications==
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===Books===
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==Refrences==
==External links==
* Official website
* Jonathan Anomaly google scholar id
Category:American academics
Category:American professors
Category:American scientists
Category:Tulane University alumni
Category:People from Honolulu