Previous Education
BA, Litterae Humaniores (Classics and Philosophy), Oxford University, 2006
Interests
Rationality, Animal Minds; Psychoanalysis and the Unconscious; History of Analytic Philosophy (particularly the philosophy of Wittgenstein)
Dissertation
Dissertation Title: “Explanation and Action”
Dissertation Committee: Jason Bridges (chair), David Finkelstein, James Conant
Recent Courses
PHIL 24267/34267 Iris Murdoch
In this course we'll read through philosophical work by Iris Murdoch spanning her whole career, along with several of her novels. Topics covered will include: Murdoch's criticism of the moral and practical philosophy of her time; her encounter with the work of Sartre and the existentialists; her engagement with the dialogues of Plato; her later work in moral psychology; and her discussions of aesthetics and the relation between art and philosophy. Primary philosophical readings will be taken from the collection 'Existentialists and Mystics,' and her last work 'Metaphysics as a Guide to Morals.'
This class is primarily intended for students in the MAPH program; undergraduates in their 3rd and 4th year will be admitted with instructor consent, based on the number of available places in the class.
PHIL 24267/34267 Iris Murdoch
In this course we'll read through philosophical work by Iris Murdoch spanning her whole career, along with several of her novels. Topics covered will include: Murdoch's criticism of the moral and practical philosophy of her time; her encounter with the work of Sartre and the existentialists; her engagement with the dialogues of Plato; her later work in moral psychology; and her discussions of aesthetics and the relation between art and philosophy. Primary philosophical readings will be taken from the collection 'Existentialists and Mystics,' and her last work 'Metaphysics as a Guide to Morals.'
This class is primarily intended for students in the MAPH program; undergraduates in their 3rd and 4th year will be admitted with instructor consent, based on the number of available places in the class.
PHIL 23920/33920 Later Wittgenstein
This course is meant as an introduction to Wittgenstein's later work. Our primary focus will be a close reading of Philosophical Investigations, with supplementary readings drawn from other writings. Topics covered will include: meaning and understanding, sensation and privacy, imagination and intentionality, and the nature of philosophy.
This will be a writing- and discussion-intensive class intended for 3rd and 4th year undergraduates and MA students. Enrollment will be limited, and instructor consent is required.