Zoe Ashton

Beginning July 2026, I am a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Dept of Philosophy at UNC Chapel Hill. 

Previously, I was a senior lecturer at OSU where I finished my PhD in philosophy and my MS in statistics in 2024. 

My research specializations are in philosophy of mathematics and science, AI and data, and epistemology. I focus on the way that mathematical arguments are socially informed, the barriers that poses to underrepresented groups in mathematics, and the epistemic and ethical implications that has for statistical applications. 

Mathematical Audiences 

The overarching theme of my research is that mathematical practice is influenced by encountered and imagined audiences. In past work, I've argued that these audiences play a central role in mathematical proof, problem choice, and argumentation in mathematics (with Andrew Aberdein).

Rigor & Epistemic Injustice

I've developed a new account of mathematical rigor called the audience view. Roughly, the audience view states that a proof is rigorous when it convinces the right kind of audience. These audiences vary by field, culture, and time period. Using that account, I'm examining how epistemic injustices might arise in rigor judgments through historical examples. Please email me if you're interested in manuscripts on these topics. You can read my short column on it here. 

Data & AI

I'm currently developing an account of how an audience-relative notion of rigor is intertwined with the statistical reasoning in AI, science, and public policy. Statistically rigorous methods have been taken to be objective and unquestionable, in line with mathematically rigorous arguments. But my account of mathematical rigor is social and focuses on a specific kind of imagined audience. This can help us identify bias in previously underexplored areas involving statistical reasoning. 

Statistics & Philosophy

I'm also interested in the intersections between statistics and philosophy. With Moti Mizrahi, I've used statistical methodology to inform philosophical questions about intuition talk and the a priori nature of philosophy. 

In Fall of 2026, I'm teaching 

• How to Reason and Argue (PHIL 105) 

• Eugenics, Algorithmic Bias, and Genetic Data (PHIL 199).

As OSU I taught: 

• Intro to the Philosophy of Rational Choice (2540)

• Engineering Ethics (1332)

• Engineering Ethics for a Diverse & Just World (2332)

• Symbolic Logic (2500)

• Introduction to Logic (1500)

• Probability, Data, and Decision-Making (1520)

• Logic and Legal Reasoning (1501)