Eleanor Gordon-Smith holds a PhD in philosophy from Princeton University and works on the ethics of doubt. Prior to Princeton, she studied at the University of Sydney. Her dissertation explores the possibility of moral reasons against withholding belief. In current work she is exploring the role of doubt and inquiry in political and social life, in particular developing a theory of the democratic value of faith and skepticism. Her chief research interests are in pragmatism, the mental demands of interpersonal recognition, moral and practical encroachment, and high-stakes changes of mind. She is the advice columnist for Guardian Australia.