I'm an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Western Michigan University. I received my PhD in Philosophy from Princeton in 2014.
My current research falls into three main areas: the philosophy of language, the philosophy of mind, and social and political philosophy. My research in the philosophy of language focuses on aspects of linguistic interpretation that cannot be explained in terms of linguistic meaning, taking systems of telic and modal interpretation as core objects of study. I’m interested in understanding how these interpretations are generated (how, for example, can there be modal interpretations in the absence of modals?) and in what they reveal about our knowledge of language. My research in the philosophy of mind focuses on grief and empathy, two forms of experience that raise difficult questions about the boundary of self and other. In the case of grief, I’m interested in understanding, for example, the sense in which one needs the person who is lost in order to successfully grieve their loss (in understanding why one cannot do this alone). In the case of empathy, I’m interested in the relationship and tension between two familiar lines of thought, the first being that empathy requires my taking the stance that I could be you (in your position) and the second being that empathy requires that I put myself in your position. My research in social and political philosophy focuses on issues of race in America. My research aims to engage with and, more broadly, to bring the analytic tradition into contact with figures such as Mamie Till Mobley, Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture), and James Baldwin. My research aims, in particular, to make the case for rethinking the boundaries of the political sphere, epistemic justice, and group identity in the light of their work and example.
My current research falls into three main areas: the philosophy of language, the philosophy of mind, and social and political philosophy. My research in the philosophy of language focuses on aspects of linguistic interpretation that cannot be explained in terms of linguistic meaning, taking systems of telic and modal interpretation as core objects of study. I’m interested in understanding how these interpretations are generated (how, for example, can there be modal interpretations in the absence of modals?) and in what they reveal about our knowledge of language. My research in the philosophy of mind focuses on grief and empathy, two forms of experience that raise difficult questions about the boundary of self and other. In the case of grief, I’m interested in understanding, for example, the sense in which one needs the person who is lost in order to successfully grieve their loss (in understanding why one cannot do this alone). In the case of empathy, I’m interested in the relationship and tension between two familiar lines of thought, the first being that empathy requires my taking the stance that I could be you (in your position) and the second being that empathy requires that I put myself in your position. My research in social and political philosophy focuses on issues of race in America. My research aims to engage with and, more broadly, to bring the analytic tradition into contact with figures such as Mamie Till Mobley, Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture), and James Baldwin. My research aims, in particular, to make the case for rethinking the boundaries of the political sphere, epistemic justice, and group identity in the light of their work and example.
Papers
| Restoring Loss: A Philosophical Exploration of Grief |
| The Empathy Defense: Emmett Till, "Open Casket," and 'White Empathy' |
| Coming to Grief: Violence, Mourning, and Interracial Intimacy |
| Lyrical Politics: Reflections on the Role of Grief in Political Life |
| Black Lives Matter or All Lives Matter: Color-blindness and Epistemic Injustice |
| How to Cross the Atlantic Without Crossing It |
| Stative Puzzles: A Case Against Hidden Modality |
