李芷萱

Portrait of Zhixuan (Grace) Li
Joint PhD Candidate in Philosophy

Zhixuan (Grace)
Li

Working on social epistemology, feminist philosophy and the philosophy of language — on how power shapes what a person is able to know, say and understand about their own experience.

The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong

King's College London London

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Current work

Current work develops an account of doxastic injustice: the argument that epistemic disempowerment operates not only between people but within them, through the intrapersonal capacities that let someone interpret and trust what they have lived through.

Research areas

14 areas

Areas of specialisation

Social Epistemology Feminist Philosophy Epistemology Philosophy of Language Philosophy of Gender & Race Phenomenology Social Ontology

Areas of competence

Philosophy of AI Applied Ethics Philosophy of Love, Sex & Friendship Chinese & Comparative Philosophy History of Ideas Social & Political Philosophy Gender & Cultural Studies

Trajectory

2017 — present

Sep 2023 — present

Joint PhD in Philosophy

The University of Hong Kong & King's College London

  • Supervised by Prof. Rachel Sterken and Dr. Aleida Borges
  • HKU Presidential PhD Scholarship
  • Erik Kvan Postgraduate Scholarship
  • Arts Faculty Grants for Joint PhD Programme
  • Expected completion — July 2027

Jan 2023

Visiting Student

University of Tübingen

Sep 2021 — Aug 2023

MPhil in Philosophy

The University of Hong Kong

  • Prof. Rachel Sterken (primary), Prof. Herman Cappelen (secondary)
  • Postgraduate Scholarship

Jul 2019 — Jan 2020

Exchange

Korea University · George Mason University

  • HKU Worldwide Undergraduate Student Exchange Scholarship
  • Tam Wun Tsun HKU Horizons Student Enrichment Award
  • Reaching Out Award

Sep 2017 — Jun 2021

BA, Comparative Literature & Philosophy

The University of Hong Kong

  • First Class Honours · Dean's Honours List, every year
  • BA thesis supervised by Prof. Rachel Sterken (Undergraduate Research Fellowship Programme)

Writing

2 journal articles · 2 earlier

Journal Article · 2025

Understanding Doxastic Injustice: The Role of Intrapersonal Factors in Epistemic Disempowerment

Social Epistemology, 1–11

Read via DOI →

Journal Article · Under Review

Mnemonic Epistemic Injustice and Institutionally Conditioned Body Shame

Social Epistemology

Student Journal

Is Beauty Objective?

Compos Mentis: Undergraduate Journal of Cognition and Neuroethics, University of Michigan–Flint

Student Journal

Reassessing Bourdieu's Forms of Capital: Neil from the Up Series Documentary

The Sociologists, HKU Sociology

Conference presentations

12 talks · 3 projects

Projects in Phenomenology

On Embodiment

Sep 2026

Upcoming

Embodiment, Shame and Agency in Chinese & Turkish Intellectual History

Association for Asian Studies in Asia 2026, Lahore University of Management Sciences

Mar 2025

Retelling as a Feminist Response to Embodied Trauma

North Texas Philosophical Association, University of Texas at Dallas

May 2024

Phenomenology of Chinese Fat Camp: Embodiment of Shame, Discipline and Trauma

East–West Philosophers' Conference, University of Hawai'i

On Phenomenological Oppression

Jul 2026

Phenomenological Oppression: How Can Social Oppression be Ontologically Real?

International Social Ontology Society, Jagiellonian University, Kraków

Dec 2023

Hermeneutical Injustice as Phenomenological Oppression: An Orwellian Approach to Political Censorship

Australasian Postgraduate Philosophy Conference, University of Western Australia

Projects in Philosophy of Language & Epistemology

On Slurs

Jun 2026

Who's Afraid when Feminists "Box"? — Reclaiming Anti-Feminist Slurs in China

The Meaning of Misogyny, University of Manchester

On Doxastic Injustice

Dec 2025

Understanding Doxastic Injustice: The Role of Intrapersonal Factors in Epistemic Disempowerment

Applied Epistemology: New Perspectives, London School of Economics and Political Science

May 2023

Intrapersonal Intelligibility in Hermeneutical Injustice: A Phenomenological Perspective

Social Ontology and Social Justice, University of Calgary

On Feminist Methodology

Oct 2025

Theorizing Sexual Harassment in Analytic Feminism — An Inquiry of Philosophical Methodology

Feminist Philosophies and Methods, UiT The Arctic University of Norway

Jun 2025

Theorizing Sexual Harassment in Analytic Feminism — An Inquiry of Philosophical Methodology

Social Ontology Summer School, Wuhan University

Projects in Chinese Feminism

On Chiung Yao Novels

Jul 2025

Love or Abuse? Chiung Yao Novels as Hermeneutical Resources

Australasian Association of Philosophy (online)

On Matriarch in China

Mar 2025

Conceptual Absence of "Sexual Harassment" in Contemporary China: Comparing Feminist Backlash with Chinese Matriarch

18th Annual Suncoast Graduate Philosophy Conference, University of South Florida

Teaching

12 courses · 2 departments

Guest Lecturer

Philosophy, The University of Hong Kong · 2023 – present

  • PHIL2422Philosophy of Gender and Race — Body & Sexuality
  • PHIL2901Social Epistemology — Standpoint Theory

Graduate Teaching Assistant

Philosophy, King's College London · 2024 – 2025

  • 5AASB066The Study of Gender in Spanish American Literature and Culture
  • 5AANCF01Women Thinkers in Antiquity and the Middle Ages
  • 4MBBS104Doctor and Society

Seminar Tutor & TA

Philosophy, The University of Hong Kong · 2022 – present

  • PHIL2345Social Contract Theories
  • PHIL2422Philosophy of Gender and Race
  • PHIL2430Chinese Philosophy: Ethics
  • PHIL2901Social Epistemology
  • PHIL7008Philosophy of Ethics and Information
  • PHIL7999Capstone Experience
  • PHIL7102Foundations of PPE: Theory and Practice of Politics

Service, languages & affiliations

Academic service

  • Peer ReviewerHypatia · ORCID record ↗ —
  • Conference Organizer, Student CommitteePlace & Displacement Postgraduate Conference, Dept. of Languages, Literatures & Cultures, KCL 2025
  • Student & EDI RepresentativeKing's College London 2024–26
  • Vice Chair, Student CommitteeResearch Postgraduate Symposium, HKU 2024
  • Wellness AmbassadorSchool of Humanities, HKU 2023–24

Certificates

  • Certificate of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education2021
  • Mental Health First Aid2023

Languages

  • MandarinNative
  • EnglishNear native
  • CantoneseNear native
  • GermanB2
  • FrenchA2

Affiliations

  • Australasian Association of Philosophy
  • Association for Asian Studies
  • International Social Ontology Society
  • Society for Applied Philosophy
  • The Aristotelian Society

References

4 referees

Primary Supervisor

Prof. Rachel Sterken

Department Chairperson, Department of Philosophy, HKU

Secondary Supervisor

Dr. Aleida Borges

Lecturer in Politics & Inequality, Global Institute for Women's Leadership, KCL

Teaching Reference

Prof. Justin Tiwald

Professor, Department of Philosophy, HKU

Teaching Reference

Dr. Brian Wong

Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, HKU

For academic reference letters, please contact Prof. Rachel Sterken and Dr. Aleida Borges. For teaching reference letters, please contact Prof. Justin Tiwald and Dr. Brian Wong. Contact details are available on request via lzx0510@connect.hku.hk.