Helen Han Wei Luo 罗晗蔚
Philosophy PhD Candidate
luo.hanwei (at) columbia.edu
hl3631(at) columbia.edu
As of Spring 2025, I am a third-year philosophy PhD candidate at Columbia University.
I joined Columbia's program in 2022 and my primary philosophical interests are in ethics and social philosophy, both theoretical and applied. My secondary philosophical interests include Classical Chinese Philosophy, social epistemology, and political theory. My dissertation centers the relationship between ethics and etiquette, arguing from the Confucian tradition of ritual propriety (禮) for the normative value of good manners in civil society. On my view, rude behavior constitutes a serious character vice which threatens the human dignity of vulnerable persons and groups in ordinary moral life. In practice, moral systems in modern societies have need for an etiquette of interpersonal conduct sensitive to variation in cultural norms and capable of grounding civil respect between citizens across a wide range of political worldviews.​
'A Lament for Persephone' - Acrylic, 42x32
Raised in Vancouver, I received a B.A. in French and Political Science from Simon Fraser University and an M.A. in Philosophy from the University of British Columbia. My research is partly supported by the SSHRC doctoral fellowship. For more on my dissertation, academic interests, and path into philosophy, see my interview with Philosopher's Nest. To read my occasional public-facing philosophy, see my essay on yaoi and the limits of the imagination with Aesthetics for Birds.​
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​I hold several leadership positions at Columbia, most importantly as the Graduate Humanities representative at the University-wide Senate. I was elected as University Senator in 2024 to a two-year term, where amongst other commitments I serve as co-Chair of the Commission on Diversity. .
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​I also have other lives as a writer and an artist.
As a writer, I was a 2023 finalist for the CBC Literary Prizes for my short story "Eel Broth for Growing Children", and received the second place at the 2024 Plentitudes Fiction Contest for my piece "The Stone Man's Harem". Some of my representative poetry can be found in the Best of Canadian Poetry 2023 anthology.​ ​​
As an artist, I work primarily in acrylic. I am drawn towards wildlife portraits generally, with particular interests in birds and fish. I also dabble with abstract landscapes, often of Canadian scenery. The art you see on this page is my own.​
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'Raven Duet' - Acrylic, 12'' in diameter
'Memento Mori' - Acrylic, 16x12. From the A Feast For Kingfishers collection