I am a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy in the National School of Arts at Australian Catholic University (North Sydney campus). I was previously a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Dianoia Institute of Philosophy and a VolkswagenStiftung Postdoctoral Fellow at Universität Stuttgart. My primary areas of research are ethics and the history of philosophy. I am especially interested in virtue theory and emotions, as well as the impartiality of practical reason. The historical figures I focus on are Plato, Epictetus, Kant, and Sidgwick. I am a co-author (with Nich Baima) of Plato's Pragmatism: Rethinking the Relationship between Ethics and Epistemology (Routledge, 2021). I am co-editor (with Tim Henning) of a volume titled Kantian and Sidgwickian Ethics: The Cosmos of Duty Above and the Moral Law Within (Routledge, 2020). I am originally from Scottsdale, Arizona, and I began my undergraduate education at Scottsdale Community College. After completing my Associate's degree, I accepted a football scholarship from Truman State University in Kirksville, MO. After graduating from Truman, I earned an MA in philosophy from UM-St. Louis and subsequently a PhD in philosophy from Washington University in St. Louis under the supervision of Julia Driver. |
I share Sidgwick's belief that as rational beings we are "bound to aim at good generally," which means that we ought to promote the good impartially rather than prioritizing ourselves, our loved ones, our nations, or our species. I also believe that two of the most effective means of promoting the general good are personal development and the open exchange of ideas and practical wisdom. I try to act in accordance with these beliefs by contributing to public discourse on topics such virtue, Stoicism, and animal welfare.
In the aftermath of the 2020 US election, I wrote an opinion piece for ABC News in which I argued that the virtues of humility and compassion are incompatible with viewing all Trump supporters as meriting contempt. |
My research on emotions and virtue theory has been featured on two episodes of the ABC RN program The Philosopher's Zone. In an episode from December 2018, David Rutledge and I discuss my view that fear is a structural vice. We also talk about the usefulness of Stoic teachings for overcoming fearfulness and coping with the various challenges of life.
The topic of a second episode was anger and the question of whether this emotion is ever justified. We discuss the reasons why I believe we ought to cultivate away our anger, despite the fact that it can have epistemic value and be a useful source of motivation. |
In an episode of the ACU Podcast Thinking Philosophy, Deborah Stone and I discuss my research on moral concepts and the idea of 'de-moralizing' ethical theory. I explain why I think moral concepts that have conceptual ties to blame are problematic. |
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I am a member of the Melbourne-based philosophy network PEiPL - Philosophical Engagement in Public Life. This organization consists of several working groups dedicated to promoting and supporting philosophy within Victoria. These groups work towards a variety of aims such as bringing philosophy to socially marginalized individuals, promoting greater interface between philosophy and science, and incorporating philosophy into primary and secondary education. For more information about PEiPL, click here. |