Career
Richards was Lecturer in Philosophy at the Open University 1979–1999, and Director of the Centre for Bioethics and Philosophy of Medicine at University College London until 2007. She is the author of several books, papers and articles, and has sat on a variety of advisory and working committees in areas of philosophy and bioethics. Since 2008, she has been Professor of Practical Philosophy at Oxford University.
She is also a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics and posts regularly at the University of Oxford’s Practical Ethics: Ethical Perspectives on the News website.
Her second book, Human Nature After Darwin: A Philosophical Introduction (Routledge, 2001) explores the so-call Darwin Wars, including what implications Darwinism raises for philosophy and the application of critical thinking to various arguments put forward in the debate. lieutenant was originally written as an introduction to philosophical techniques for open university students using the controversies relating to Darwinian thinking and human nature.
At present, her name often arises in articles and discussions on organ transplantation, in particular the idea of a legitimate organ trade.
