Juan Sebastian Ospina

Juan Sebastián Ospina teaches classes on social and political philosophy, philosophy of law, ethics, and Latin American philosophy. His courses combine traditions of the history of philosophy, continental political philosophy, and decolonial philosophies to explore issues such as the relationship between law and violence, moral obligations, political and social ontology, and critical rights theories.  

He completed his Ph.D in Philosophy at the University of Oregon. Ospina’s dissertation project focused on the normative contributions of Enrique Dussel’s politics of liberation to examine the theoretical underpinnings necessary for a decolonial account of law and suggests an alternative conceptualization of the function of law, constituent power, and institutions that result from that Latin American philosophical tradition. In addition to his academic work, Ospina has previous work in human rights advocacy, on transitional justice initiatives, and as advisor of the High Commissioner for Peace in Colombia (2012-2014).