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I am Tim Dean, an award winning philosopher, author, facilitator and public speaker.

I am Resident Philosopher at The Ethics Centre, where I help people to think more deeply about big questions and to make positive change in their world.

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About me

I am an award winning public philosopher, author, facilitator and speaker. I’m currently the Resident Philosopher at The Ethics Centre, a not-for-profit organisation that has worked to bring ethics to the centre of everyday life for over 30 years.

My debut book is How We Became Human: And Why We Need to Change, published by Pan Macmillan Australia.

I am an experienced speaker, facilitator and presenter. I have MCed events, delivered keynotes and run workshops for the Sydney Opera House, The Festival of Dangerous Ideas, The School of Life, the Art Gallery of NSW, Commonwealth Bank, Facebook, Clayton Utz, Chartered Accountants ANZ, University of Technology Sydney and the University of Sydney, state and local governments, and many more.

If you want to book me as a speaker, facilitator or MC, you can reach out directly or via Speaking Out.

My writing has also appeared in popular outlets, including New Philosopher, New Scientist, Popular Scientist, Cosmos, The Sydney Morning Herald, The ABC, Acuity Magazine and many others, and I regularly appear on ABC Radio and TV.

Past roles include Science and Technology Editor at The Conversation, and editor of industry-leading publications such as Cosmos, Australian Life Scientist and PC & Tech Authority magazines.

I am an Honorary Associate in the philosophy department at the University of Sydney, and my Doctorate in philosophy was from the University of New South Wales on evolution and morality. My philosophical specialisations include the ethics, critical thinking, philosophy education, philosophy of biology and moral psychology.

Highlights

TEDx Sydney

Can we be too moral?

QandA

On patriotism and the Australian identity.

Sydney Writers' Festival

How we make up our minds.

Sophia Club

The limits of civility.

What people say about my work

Tim’s workshop last week was relevant and highly valued by the participants. We enjoyed the way he was able to convey ethical concepts through a mix of story-telling and dilemmas for us to consider. 

Several Board members and Executive members have subsequently expressed thanks for the opportunity to participate in the workshop. 

AG

Director/Ethics & Integrity Committee Chair

Dr Dean’s workshops are always engaging and interactive, and encourage our students to think deeply and creatively about a range of philosophical and ethical issues. I highly recommend his workshops.

Priscilla Curran

Dean of Lateral Learning, Meriden

I’d like to sincerely thank you once again for your time today. 

Given how closely it aligned with the current challenges and priorities across the sector, it provided a valuable opportunity for the group to engage with you and benefit from your depth of experience and expertise. Early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with participants highlighting just how insightful and worthwhile they found the session.

LB

Director Learning and Development, Local Government

I wanted to thank you again for your contributions at our Thought Leadership Gathering, I thought you might like to hear some of the feedback from our leaders about the Expert Panel:

  • 95% of participants felt the content of your session was useful

  • 90% of participants felt the content was engaging

  • 90% of participants felt the content will inform their work as a leader

KD

Associate Director, Education

Dr Tim Dean was an incredibly well educated and engaging facilitator. He immediately established a positive rapport with all attendees and with ease allowed for and supported the creation of a ‘Safe To’ space for open, honest, and diverse opinions and conversations.

The content was delivered in a structured and simple to follow way, particularly given the context of the materials were new for most.

Tim was able to accommodate the right amount of time for discussion and feedback on the content throughout the session, along with additional related examples, history, and theories taken from his own knowledge bank.

NH

People and Culture

About my book

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How We Became Human: And Why We Need to Change

What does our long history as an evolved species of ape have to do with modern issues like racism, sexism, social media toxicity, religious intolerance and political partisan warfare?

The short answer is: more than you might think.

The longer answer is that these and a slew of other major societal challenges are by-products of human minds that evolved in a world radically different from the one in which we live today.

How We Became Human explores how we evolved to be uniquely moral creatures, and why the very same evolved moral tendencies and cultural mores that helped our ancestors live together peacefully millennia ago are contributing to major social ills today.

How We Became Human is the debut book by philosopher and science writer, Tim Dean. You can order it in paperback, ebook and audio format from your favourite outlets or via Booktopia.

 

Praise for How We Became Human:

‘In the battle of our genes, our minds, our souls, which wins? Hate and love, good and evil, right and wrong. Let Tim Dean unlock the mystery of being human. There are some thinkers just made for our times: Dean is one of them.’

– Stan Grant, journalist, presenter, and author of With the Falling of the Dusk

Contact me

If there is any way I can help you or your team to think and talk better about the big questions in your lives, get in touch here.

CONTACT ME