Arif Ahmed | |
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 Ahmed in 2013 | |
| Born | Arif Mohuiddin Ahmed (1974-03-18)18 March 1974 (age 51) |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | St Anne's College, Oxford University of Sussex Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Philosopher |
| Sub-discipline | |
Arif Mohuiddin Ahmed (born 18 March 1974) is a British philosopher and academic, who is the Director for Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom of theOffice for Students, following his appointment in June 2023.[1] Before this, Ahmed was a philosopher at theUniversity of Cambridge.
Ahmed was born on 18 March 1974 inTaunton, Somerset, England.[2][3] He was educated at Bishop's Hull Primary School andQueen's College, anindependent school in Taunton.[3] He studied mathematics atSt Anne's College, Oxford, graduating with aBachelor of Arts (BA) in 1995.[4] He then changed direction and studied for aMaster of Arts (MA) in philosophy at theUniversity of Sussex, graduating in 1996.[3][5] Next, he undertook aDoctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in philosophy atSidney Sussex College, Cambridge,[4][6] which he completed in 2001.[5]
In 2000, he joinedGirton College, Cambridge, as a college teaching officer.[5][7] He was elected afellow of Girton in 2004.[5] He became a fellow ofGonville and Caius College, Cambridge in 2015.[6] The University of Cambridge promoted him toreader inphilosophy in 2016.[8][9] He was made Nicholas Sallnow-Smith College Lecturer by his college in 2019.[10] The university appointed him Professor of Philosophy in 2022.[11] His research interests includedecision theory and thephilosophy of religion, from an atheist andlibertarian point of view.[6]
At Cambridge he was an advocate for the protection of freedom of speech. Ahmed was part of a network of academics associated withPeter Thiel and the online magazineQuillette, originating around 2017 and centred around the university's Faculty of Divinity.[12] One of the group's first initiatives[13] was to invite Canadian psychologist and social media influencerJordan Peterson for a visiting fellowship at the university. The university administration intervened to rescind Peterson's invitation, although Peterson eventually did visit Cambridge, which Ahmed hailed as an "important victory."[14][15][16][17] In 2020, Ahmed also led opposition to the University's proposed amendments to its freedom of speech policy, ultimately concluding with the rejection of the amendments.[18][19] He was appointedMember of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the2021 Birthday Honours for services to education.[20]
In late 2022 the Minister for Women and Equalities, and Trade Secretary,Kemi Badenoch MP, appointed Ahmed as new commissioner to theEquality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) Board.[21] He took up the post on 1 January 2023 for a four-year term.[22] He left the EHRC after being appointed Director for Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom at the Office for Students (OfS) in June 2023.[1][23]
Ahmed is the author of the booksSaul Kripke (Continuum Books, 2007), which analyses the philosophy ofSaul Kripke,[24] andEvidence, Decision and Causality (Cambridge University Press, 2014), which defendsevidential decision theory and critiquescausal decision theory.[25] Ahmed is also the editor of bothWittgenstein's Philosophical investigations: A critical guide (Cambridge University Press, 2010)[26] andNewcomb's Problem (Cambridge University Press, 2018).[27]
Ahmed's parents migrated from India to the United Kingdom in the 1970s.[28] His father worked as a psychiatrist and his mother as a nurse.[28] He became an atheist as a teenager, having been raised aMuslim.[28] He has been described as a "New Atheist".[29]
Ahmed's partner isFrisbee Sheffield, a classicist specialising in ancient philosophy.[28][30] Together they have three children.[28]
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