Rate My Professor Avery Kolers

Avery Kolers is Professor and Department Head of Philosophy at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, having joined in 2026 after 25 years at the University of Louisville, where he held positions as Professor of Philosophy, Land, Conflict, and Justice Professor, Department Chair, and core faculty in the MA in Applied Philosophy—Healthcare Ethics program. He earned his PhD in Philosophy from the University of Arizona in 2000 and his BA in Ethics and Political Philosophy from Brown University in 1995. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Kolers specializes in social and political philosophy and applied ethics, with research interests encompassing territorial rights, solidarity, social movements, environmental justice, political theory of territory, and related topics in moral and political philosophy.

Kolers is the author of two major books: Land, Conflict, and Justice: A Political Theory of Territory (2009, cited over 300 times) and A Moral Theory of Solidarity (Oxford University Press, 2016, cited over 240 times). Key articles include “Dynamics of Solidarity” (American Journal of Political Science, 2012), “Floating Provisos and Sinking Islands” (Journal of Applied Philosophy, 2012, recipient of the Annual Essay Prize), “Toward a Pluralist Account of Parenthood” (Bioethics, 2003), and “The Priority of Solidarity to Justice” (Journal of Applied Philosophy, 2014). His scholarship, with over 1,460 citations on Google Scholar, has significantly influenced debates in political philosophy, ethics, and applied social theory. Kolers has received honors including the Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, University of Louisville Award for Outstanding Achievement in Service to the Community, and Cardinal Principles Champion Award for Integrity and Transparency. He has served on executive committees, contributed to editorial roles, hosted public philosophy discussions such as Ethics Forward, and delivered lectures on topics like solidarity and environmental ethics.