Skip to main content

Staff profile

Overview

Felipe Zarate

Biography

Felipe Zárate Guerrero

Felipe Zárate Guerrero

I am a Colombian Philosophy PhD student at Durham University, where I explore the concept of worlds of art and the theory of 'possible worlds' to understand how truth operates in fiction. I hold a Master’s degree in Philosophy and a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Universidad de los Andes (Colombia). My current PhD research focuses on two main categories. I. Expansive Storylines include franchises like Marvel/DC comics or Star Wars, crafted by multiple creators across various media platforms (movies, TV, comics, and video games). II. Worldbuilt Narratives encompass works such as Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" or Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time", which are characterised by intricately constructed fictional universes governed by established rules.

I was recently awarded the New Horizons Award 2025 by the British Society of Aesthetics. This recognition is given to the top two papers submitted to their Annual Conference by members of groups traditionally underrepresented in philosophical aesthetics. The conference will be held at St Anne's College, Oxford University

As part of my academic career, I have worked as a Foundation Fellow at Durham Centre for Academic Development. I teach the modules "Knowledge and Reality" and "Reading Philosophy" as a teaching assistant in the Philosophy Department. 

In the last year, I joined the permanent laboratory for music (Laboratorio Permanente Para la Música) research group associated with La Sinfonietta de Bogotá. As part of our research, we investigated the role of canon (rules and institutionalisation) in symphonic music-making and its relation with music considered as an activity (musicking). We are also embarking on a new project exploring educators' perceptions of teaching symphonic music in Colombia. 

Research interests

  • Philosophy of Fiction
  • Philosophy of Literature
  • Aesthetics

Esteem Indicators

  • 2025: New Horizons Award Winner, 2025 - British Society of Aesthetics: As part of our commitment to increasing diversity and inclusion within British aesthetics and philosophy of art, the British Society of Aesthetics will bestow up to two New Horizons Awards for the best papers submitted to the Annual Conference by a member of a group traditionally underrepresented in philosophical aesthetics. The winner(s) will receive a £500 honorarium and a travel grant of up to £1000 to attend the conference, and will be encouraged to revise the paper for submission to the British Journal of Aesthetics.
  • 2023: Colfuturo's loan-scholarship program:
  • 2023: Doreen Bretherton Scholarship:
  • 2017: Francisco Pizano de Brigard Scholarship:
  • 2014: Dora Röthlisgerber Foundation Scholarship:

Publications

Journal Article