Curriculum Vitae
Education
2013-Present
University of California, San Diego Ph.D. in Philosophy, Spring 2021 (expected) 2009-2013
University of Wisconsin, Madison B.S. Majors: Philosophy and Mathematics Areas of Specialization and Competence
AOS: Moral and Political Philosophy AOC: Environmental ethics, Technology and Moral Values, Medical ethics Dissertation and Committee Dissertation Title: The Principle of Fairness and Natural Duties Committee members: Richard Arneson (co-chair), Saba Bazargan-Forward (co-chair), Samuel Rickless, Andy Lamey, Gerry Mackie Short Abstract In The Principle of Fairness and Natural Duties I defend two major claims. First, the Principle of Fairness (PoF) is not vulnerable to a number of objections often leveled against it. The PoF is most often used to explain our duty to obey the law, and its defenders and critics alike almost universally agree that the PoF relies on cooperative intentions. Critics argue that relatively few people in existing political societies have cooperative intentions the PoF requires. If so, the PoF cannot do the work of explaining the duty to obey the law. In response, I argue that the PoF does not rely on cooperative intentions. By emphasizing mutually advantageous labor instead, I can acknowledge the importance of working together while avoiding the problems associated with determining the mental states of individuals. My dissertation’s second major claim is that the duty to obey the law is best grounded in a hybrid theory that combines the PoF with the natural duty of justice. Theories of the duty to obey the law grounded in the PoF are often seen as rivals to those grounded in the natural duty of justice, but I argue that this opposition is misguided. Each theory suffers from an explanatory gap that the other is able to fill. By combining the two, I defend a theory of the duty to obey the law that breaks new ground in the literature, and that is not vulnerable to objections facing other prominent theories. Journal Submissions “Fairness Without Cooperation” submitted to the Journal of Political Philosophy “Slack-Taking and Burden-Dumping” submitted to the Journal of Ethics and Social Philosophy Presentations “Fairness and the Right to Freedom of Movement” UCSD, 2020 Interdisciplinary Conference on Movement, contributor, 2020 “Slack-Taking and Burden-Dumping” UCSD, MaPPS, presenter 2019 “Fairness and Voluntary Acceptance” Pacific APA, Session on Political Philosophy, session commentator, 2019 USD, Conference on Exploitation, session chair, 2016 Teaching Experience Courses Taught as Primary Instructor
Courses Assisted as a T.A.
Graduate Coursework Courses Taken for Credit
Professional Development in Teaching Nominations and Presentations
Workshops, UCSD’s Teaching + Learning Commons
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