Current Research

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My current research is focused on contrasting notions of moral skill and imagination in ancient Greek and Chinese philosophy. Where once it was common to put one's trust in those who possessed great practical wisdom and moral imagination—such as a guru or sage—there exists in contemporary moral discourse a widespread skepticism regarding claims about moral expertise. This skepticism appears to have developed along two fronts. On one hand is the philosophical view that moral skill is a wholly intellectual, disembodied affair. On the other hand is the increased populism within the public sphere which holds in contempt expertise in fields such as politics and medicine.    

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In opposition to such skepticism, I seek to mine ancient notions of virtue, sagacity, and artisanship for an embodied account of moral skill appropriate for our contemporary world.

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I am currently exploring how such historical and comparative analyses lend insight into various philosophical areas, including meta-ethics, philosophy of action, and artificial intelligence.