My research is in ethics, philosophy of law, and philosophy of religion. Broadly, I care about the ethics of self-defense and all its theoretical tendrils, defending the place and importance of nonhuman animals in philosophy of religion, and showing how uniquely queer interests should shape both our understanding of self-defense and our view of the afterlife. In particular, I work on questions such as the following:
Is the standard view of defensive permissions more plausible than a pacifist alternative?
What does a pacifist view of moral and political rights look like?
Does our duty to avoid moral responsibility for unjust harm restrict our right to procreate? Are we morally liable to criminal penalties if we do?
What are the best reasons to believe that all sentient, nonhuman animals will exist in the afterlife?
How should injustices against LGBTQ+ persons be rectified in the afterlife? Will heterosexuality persist in the afterlife?
Should our conception of God be influenced by normative claims about equality, shared power, and direct representation?
My research on self-defense was recently recognized by the American Philosophical Association, which awarded me the Frank Chapman Sharp Memorial Prize for the best essay on the ethics of war and peace. For my efforts in teaching, I was awarded the 2019 Graduate Teaching Award by my alma mater, the University of Washington. Near the end of my time as a graduate student, I was interviewed by the American Philosophical Association. As of July 2020, I will begin my three-year appointment on the APA's LGBTQ People in the Profession committee.
My pronouns are ze/zir/zirs and they/them/theirs.
recent talks
Below are some recent talks I gave. Thanks to all who came!
Wednesday, January 8th: APA Eastern Division, Philadelphia, PA (Session 2L: 2:00-3:00pm EST) "Higher-Order Evidence in Groups: A Defense of a Summative Account of Group Justification"
February 26th-29th: APA Central Division, Chicago, IL (session and time details TBD) "Real Kids First: An Adoption Argument for Anti-Natalism" (with Anthony Ferrucci)