Dr Joshua Andrews is a Lecturer in Political Philosophy and Ethics whose teaching explores some of the most urgent questions of human and political life. His work brings together freedom, responsibility, power, justice and moral action, helping students understand how ideas shape the world around them and how philosophy can be used to respond to the defining challenges of our time.

Joshua’s political philosophy is strongly shaped by existential thought and its political possibilities. Drawing on thinkers such as Simone de Beauvoir, Jean Paul Sartre, Albert Camus and Hannah Arendt, he explores what it means to live freely and responsibly in a world marked by uncertainty, injustice and conflict. For Joshua, existentialism is never only about individual meaning. It is also about power, oppression, action, solidarity and the difficult choices people make within political communities. His teaching invites students to ask what freedom really means, how people resist domination, why responsibility matters, and how political life can either limit or enlarge the possibilities of human existence.

A central part of Joshua’s work is the study of political ideologies and the philosophical values that shape them. He is interested in how liberalism, conservatism, socialism, feminism, anarchism, nationalism and postcolonial thought are built upon deeper assumptions about human nature, authority, equality, freedom and justice. Rather than treating ideologies as abstract labels or party positions, Joshua encourages students to uncover the moral visions behind political ideas and to examine how these visions continue to shape public debate, institutions and social movements today.

In Ethics, Joshua focuses especially on applied ethics and the moral questions raised by major political issues of the day. His teaching examines how ethical theory can help us think through real world problems involving human rights, inequality, migration, climate change, war, protest, technology, sex, taboo and social justice. Students are encouraged to see ethics as something alive and urgent, not simply a set of theories to be memorised, but a way of thinking carefully about what we owe to one another and what kind of world we are willing to build.

Alongside Western ethical traditions, Joshua has a particular interest in Asian moral philosophy, especially ideas linked to Sanātana Dharma and Buddhism. He explores how concepts such as dharma, suffering, compassion, non attachment and moral responsibility can enrich contemporary ethical and political reflection. This gives students the opportunity to think beyond a purely Western philosophical framework and to consider how different moral traditions can illuminate debates about justice, care, community and human flourishing.

Joshua is also known for his creative and ambitious approach to assessment. Alongside traditional academic methods, he designs assignments such as panel discussions, curated music playlists with commentary, social media campaigns, political manifestos and podcasts. These assessments are designed to help students become sharper thinkers, stronger communicators and more imaginative problem solvers. This academic year, he transformed the Applied Ethics class into an ethical think tank, where students worked collaboratively to respond to pressing political and moral issues. In doing so, students used philosophy not as a distant academic exercise, but as a practical tool for understanding and engaging with the world.

Testimony to his innovative assessment and pedagogical approaches, Joshua was awarded the highly esteemed Bangor University Teaching Fellowship in 2023. His teaching seeks to give students the confidence to question inherited ideas, test arguments, connect theory to lived experience and apply philosophical thinking beyond the classroom.

For those studying Political Philosophy and Ethics, Joshua’s teaching offers an education that is intellectually exciting, politically engaged and deeply relevant to contemporary life. Whether exploring existential freedom, the values behind political ideologies, the moral dilemmas of public life, or the insights of Western and Asian ethical traditions, students are continually encouraged to ask difficult questions, make meaningful connections and imagine new possibilities for the future.

Name: Joshua Andrews

Position: Lecturer

Email: j.andrews@bangor.ac.uk

Phone: 01248 382103

Location: T22

Modules taught

  • Existentialism 
  • Political Philosophy 
  • Applied Ethics
  • Existentialism and Human Rights
  • Sex and Society 
  • Hinduism in the Modern World
  • Buddhism in the Modern World
  • Tales of Might and Morality
  • Dissertation

I welcome enquiries from prospective doctoral students interested in exploring topics in political philosophy, ethics, religion and public life. I am especially keen to supervise projects in the following areas:

Political existentialism

Projects examining how existentialist thought can inform political philosophy, political theory and contemporary debates about power, freedom and responsibility. I am particularly interested in work that engages with how existentialism can help us understand democracy, oppression, dignity, human rights, activism, resistance and political agency. I welcome projects that apply existentialist ideas to urgent social and political challenges, asking how human beings can act meaningfully and responsibly in conditions of injustice, uncertainty and constraint.

The moral philosophy of Sanātana Dharma and Buddhism

Research exploring the ethical and political significance of Sanātana Dharma and Buddhist thought, both in classical traditions and contemporary contexts. Areas of interest include, social justice, gender, sexulity and the relationship between individual ethical life and wider political community. I am especially interested in projects that bring Asian moral philosophy into dialogue with contemporary ethical and political questions.

Sex, taboo and ethics

Projects analysing the ethical, philosophical and political dimensions of sex, desire, taboo and transgression. I welcome research that explores how moral frameworks, religious traditions, existentialist philosophy and social norms shape debates around sexuality, embodiment, gender, intimacy, LGBTQ+ experiences, sexual ethics and social policy. This area is particularly suited to projects that examine how societies construct moral boundaries and how those boundaries are challenged, defended or transformed.

Religious Education, Religion, Values and Ethics, and public life

Research on the theory, practice and policy of Religious Education, with particular interest in Religion, Values and Ethics in Wales. I welcome projects examining curriculum development, pedagogical practice, teacher formation, pluralism, worldviews, public values and the role of religion and belief in contemporary education. I am especially interested in work that considers how RVE can foster critical thinking, ethical reflection, dialogue and meaningful engagement with diverse religious and non religious worldviews.

Across these areas, I am particularly interested in projects that connect philosophical and ethical theory with lived experience, public debate and contemporary political challenges.

2024

2023

  • Launch of the National Centre for Religious Education in Wales at the Eisteddfod

    The Welsh-medium launch of the National Centre for Religious Education in Wales was held at the Bangor University stall at the Llyn and Eifionydd National Eisteddfod 2023. Joshua Andrews and I presented as co-directors of the Centre. Interesting contributions were given by Emilia Johnson, Daniel Latham, Modlen Lynch, and Natasha Roberts, in addition to a fascinating discussion with Kristoffer Hughes, the Chief of the Anglesey Druid Order. We were also able to announce that the first Honorary Fellow of the Centre is the National Poet for Wales, Hanan Issa.

    6 Aug 2023

    Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Public lecture/debate/seminar (Contributor)

2018:  £75,000, Corporate Grant, All Saints Educational Trust.

2022:  £85,000, Corporate Grant Award. All Saints Educational Trust.

2024:  £30, 451, Bangor Impact Award.

2024: £20,000, St Marys Educational Trust 

2024:  £26,671, Culham St Gabriel's Award.

2025: £4,500, Go Wales 

Administrative Roles

  • Director of Student Engagement - Current 
  • Admissions Tutor (Philosophy, Ethics and Religion; Politics) - Current 
  • School Liaison Officer - Former
  • Senior Tutor - Former
  • Welcome Week Coordinator - Former 

Recognition and Awards

  • 2017: Postgraduate Teacher of the Year, Bangor University Student-Led Teaching Awards
  • 2019: Student Engagement Award, Bangor University Student-Led Teaching Awards
  • 2023: Student Voice Award, Bangor University Student-Led Teaching Awards
  • 2023: Bangor University Teaching Fellowship
  • 2024: Teacher of the Year Award, Bangor University Student-Led Teaching Awards
  • 2024: Student Voice Award, Bangor University Student-Led Teaching Awards 
  • 2025: Dissertation Supervisor of the Year  Bangor University Student-Led Teaching Awards
  • 2025: Student Voice Award, Bangor University Student-Led Teaching Award