Christian Barry is professor of philosophy in the School of Philosophy at the Research School of Social Sciences (RSSS), Australian National University, and co-editor of the Journal of Political Philosophy.
His research focuses on ethical theory, philosophy of action, and international justice. His recent work includes a book with Sanjay Reddy, International Trade and Labour Standards: A Proposal for Linkage (Columbia University Press, 2008), and articles in Philosophy & Public Affairs, Journal of Political Philosophy, Journal of Moral Philosophy, Politics, Philosophy and Economics, Review of International Studies, International Affairs, and Carnegie Council's journal, Ethics & International Affairs.
His latest book, Responding to Global Poverty: Harm, Responsibility and Agency, (co-authored with Gerhard Øverland) was published by Cambridge University Press in 2016. He currently holds an Australian Research Council Discovery Grant for the project The Ethical Responsiblities of Consumers.
Prior to joining the ANU, Barry was a program officer at Carnegie Council (Justice & the World Economy), and editor of Ethics & International Affairs, a consultant to the Human Development Report Office at the United Nations Development Programme, and a lecturer in politics and international relations at University College Dublin.
He holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Columbia University, where he was a fellow at the Center for Law and Philosophy.
Featured Work
JUN 8, 2012 • Podcast
Law Professor Stuart Green on Property Law
A meme about illegal music downloads has been going around the Internet for a few years now. It goes something like this: Piracy isn't theft. ...
APR 11, 2012 • Podcast
Prakash Sethi on Apple's Labor Standards
Does Apple's number one status mean that it has special responsibilities for the labor practices of its Chinese manufacturers? And to what extent is one ...
MAR 16, 2012 • Podcast
Seth Lazar on Self-Defense in War
Does all killing in war come down to self-defense? This view makes a lot of intuitive sense, but it turns out to pose a serious ...
FEB 14, 2012 • Podcast
Microinequalities Inflicted on Women
Why is it that a woman can lead a country, yet women are slower to be served in coffee shops? In the West, women and ...
AUG 13, 2010 • Podcast
Public Ethics Radio: Joy Gordon on Iraq Sanctions
Joy Gordon's new book "Invisible War" describes a superpower run amok. The international sanctions on Iraq were the strictest ever imposed. The tremendous damage that ...
JUN 23, 2010 • Podcast
Public Ethics Radio: Matthew Rimmer on Intellectual Property and Clean Technology
Matthew Rimmer discusses intellectual-property policy for clean technologies. How do we both create new technologies and spread them as widely as possible? We need climate-friendly ...
JUN 1, 2010 • Podcast
Public Ethics Radio: Sarah Holcombe on Indigenous Intellectual Property Rights
What rules should govern business and academic interactions with so-called traditional knowledge? Sarah Holcombe examines questions of knowledge management, intellectual property rights, and research ethics ...
MAY 17, 2010 • Podcast
Public Ethics Radio: Anne Phillips on Ownership and the Body
Is the human body a piece of property? We object to the sale of whole human beings, but what about cases where a person merely ...
NOV 3, 2009 • Podcast
Public Ethics Radio: Christopher Heath Wellman on Immigration and Citizenship
From education and health care, to access to credit and the rule of law, a host of factors that influence quality of life depend simply ...
OCT 7, 2009 • Podcast
Hilary Charlesworth on Bills of Rights
What does a country gain by enacting a bill of rights? Do countries that lack bills of rights, like Australia, protect human rights as well ...