Publications
"Mutually Beneficial Coercion: A Critique of the Coercive Approach to Distributive Justice"
Law and Philosophy 38:2 (2019): 195-220.
"Distributing Welfare and Resources: A Multi-Currency View"
Journal of Philosophical Research 44 (2019): 273-292.
Law and Philosophy 38:2 (2019): 195-220.
"Distributing Welfare and Resources: A Multi-Currency View"
Journal of Philosophical Research 44 (2019): 273-292.
Recent Presentations
“Rawls, Statism, and the Justice of Global COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution”
Presented at “After Justice: John Rawls’ Legacy in the 21st Century,” University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania (Hybrid event) (2021)
“Rawls, Statism, and the Justice of Global COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution”
Presented at the “International Symposium on John Rawls,” University of Girona, Barcelona, Spain (Hybrid event) (2021)
"Inefficient Charity"
Presented at the Kentucky Philosophical Association (KPA) Summer Scholars Workshop, Bellarmine University, Louisville, KY (Hybrid event) (2021)
"Humanitarian Nations"
Presented at the North Carolina Philosophical Society, UNC, Greensboro, NC (2019)
"The Benefits of Coercion: The Coercive Approach to Distributive Justice"
Presented at Birkbeck College, University College London's Freedom and Autonomy Conference, London, UK (2018)
"The Benefits of Coercion: The Coercive Approach to Distributive Justice"
Presented at the Joint Meeting of the South Carolina Society of Philosophy and the North Carolina Philosophical Society, Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC (2018)
"A Move Towards Global Distributive Justice: The Structures of Coercion and Cooperation"
Presented at the 10th Annual Princeton Graduate Conference in Political Theory, Princeton, NJ (2017)
“The Coercive Approach: Problems with a Limited View of Distributive Justice”
Presented at the American Philosophical Association (APA): Eastern Division, Baltimore, MD (2017)
“Public Reasons and the Inclusion Argument”
Presented at Carleton University, 33rd International Social Philosophy Conference (NASSP), “Power and Public Reason,” Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (2016)
“Global Distributive Justice: Coercion, Cooperation, and Structures”
Presented at Michigan State University, 17th Annual Graduate Philosophy Conference, “Starting from the Actual: Working Against Oppression and Marginalization,” East Lansing, MI (2016)
“Distributing Welfare and Resources: A Multi-Threshold Sufficiency View”
Presented at the University of Texas, Austin Graduate Ethics and Normativity Conference (AGENT), Austin, TX (2014)
“Distributing Welfare and Resources: A Multi-Threshold Sufficiency View”
Presented at the University of Salzburg, “Ethics of Poverty Alleviation Conference,” Salzburg, Austria (2014)
Presented at “After Justice: John Rawls’ Legacy in the 21st Century,” University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania (Hybrid event) (2021)
“Rawls, Statism, and the Justice of Global COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution”
Presented at the “International Symposium on John Rawls,” University of Girona, Barcelona, Spain (Hybrid event) (2021)
"Inefficient Charity"
Presented at the Kentucky Philosophical Association (KPA) Summer Scholars Workshop, Bellarmine University, Louisville, KY (Hybrid event) (2021)
"Humanitarian Nations"
Presented at the North Carolina Philosophical Society, UNC, Greensboro, NC (2019)
"The Benefits of Coercion: The Coercive Approach to Distributive Justice"
Presented at Birkbeck College, University College London's Freedom and Autonomy Conference, London, UK (2018)
"The Benefits of Coercion: The Coercive Approach to Distributive Justice"
Presented at the Joint Meeting of the South Carolina Society of Philosophy and the North Carolina Philosophical Society, Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC (2018)
"A Move Towards Global Distributive Justice: The Structures of Coercion and Cooperation"
Presented at the 10th Annual Princeton Graduate Conference in Political Theory, Princeton, NJ (2017)
“The Coercive Approach: Problems with a Limited View of Distributive Justice”
Presented at the American Philosophical Association (APA): Eastern Division, Baltimore, MD (2017)
“Public Reasons and the Inclusion Argument”
Presented at Carleton University, 33rd International Social Philosophy Conference (NASSP), “Power and Public Reason,” Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (2016)
“Global Distributive Justice: Coercion, Cooperation, and Structures”
Presented at Michigan State University, 17th Annual Graduate Philosophy Conference, “Starting from the Actual: Working Against Oppression and Marginalization,” East Lansing, MI (2016)
“Distributing Welfare and Resources: A Multi-Threshold Sufficiency View”
Presented at the University of Texas, Austin Graduate Ethics and Normativity Conference (AGENT), Austin, TX (2014)
“Distributing Welfare and Resources: A Multi-Threshold Sufficiency View”
Presented at the University of Salzburg, “Ethics of Poverty Alleviation Conference,” Salzburg, Austria (2014)
Invited Talks
"Humanitarian Nations"
Presented at Furman University, Greenville, SC (2019)
Presented at Furman University, Greenville, SC (2019)
Ongoing Projects
"Humanitarian Nations" (Under Peer Review)
Philosophical notions of humanitarianism—duties based in beneficence that apply to humanity generally—are largely focused on personal duty as opposed to official development assistance, or foreign aid, between nations. To rectify this gap in the literature, I argue that, from the point of view of donor nations, their humanitarian obligations are met when they have given enough of their fair share of resources, and from the point of view of recipient nations, they have received enough when they have reached a threshold of capabilities. I conclude that a future theory of humanitarian obligations ought to take into account the disparate, and often conflicting, interests of nations as benefactors or as recipients of aid.
"Inefficient Charity" (Under Peer Review)
Theories such as effective altruism contend that people are morally obligated to give to the causes that will do the most net good. Yet, according to my Priority Objection, the ability of aid to be used effectively is often inversely proportional to the extreme deprivation and instability on the ground. Thus, it will often be more inefficient to reach the neediest around the world. To avoid abandoning those most in need, I utilize the Capabilities Approach and isolate basic capabilities which are necessary for basic human functioning. From there I outline my Inefficiency Principle in which increased inefficiency is permissible when addressing these more basic capabilities, while at the same time decreased inefficiency is permissible when addressing more complex capabilities. I argue that such a principle allows theoretical space for acknowledging the practical obstacles in assisting those most in need while sustaining the moral importance of efficient aid.
Philosophical notions of humanitarianism—duties based in beneficence that apply to humanity generally—are largely focused on personal duty as opposed to official development assistance, or foreign aid, between nations. To rectify this gap in the literature, I argue that, from the point of view of donor nations, their humanitarian obligations are met when they have given enough of their fair share of resources, and from the point of view of recipient nations, they have received enough when they have reached a threshold of capabilities. I conclude that a future theory of humanitarian obligations ought to take into account the disparate, and often conflicting, interests of nations as benefactors or as recipients of aid.
"Inefficient Charity" (Under Peer Review)
Theories such as effective altruism contend that people are morally obligated to give to the causes that will do the most net good. Yet, according to my Priority Objection, the ability of aid to be used effectively is often inversely proportional to the extreme deprivation and instability on the ground. Thus, it will often be more inefficient to reach the neediest around the world. To avoid abandoning those most in need, I utilize the Capabilities Approach and isolate basic capabilities which are necessary for basic human functioning. From there I outline my Inefficiency Principle in which increased inefficiency is permissible when addressing these more basic capabilities, while at the same time decreased inefficiency is permissible when addressing more complex capabilities. I argue that such a principle allows theoretical space for acknowledging the practical obstacles in assisting those most in need while sustaining the moral importance of efficient aid.
Grants, Awards, etc.
Silvershein/Gutenstein Faculty Service Learning Fellow (2018)
High Point University
Grant awarded to faculty in order to be trained in teaching Service Learning courses. Attended workshops and taught Civic Responsibility and Social Innovation, an upper level service learning course, in Spring 2019.
CENHS Course Development Grant in Environmental Philosophy (Spring 2017)
Rice University
Participated in the Center for Energy and Environmental Research in the Human Sciences at Rice University (CENHS) initiative to better the teaching of environmental philosophy to undergraduates. Presented syllabi at a workshop on environmental philosophy and attended other CENHS symposiums
High Point University
Grant awarded to faculty in order to be trained in teaching Service Learning courses. Attended workshops and taught Civic Responsibility and Social Innovation, an upper level service learning course, in Spring 2019.
CENHS Course Development Grant in Environmental Philosophy (Spring 2017)
Rice University
Participated in the Center for Energy and Environmental Research in the Human Sciences at Rice University (CENHS) initiative to better the teaching of environmental philosophy to undergraduates. Presented syllabi at a workshop on environmental philosophy and attended other CENHS symposiums
Professional Service
- Secretary-Treasurer of the North Carolina Philosophical Society (2019-present)
- Conference coordinator for the 2022 Joint North Carolina Philosophical Society and South Carolina Society for Philosophy Conference
- Conference coordinator for the 2020 Joint North Carolina Philosophical Society and South Carolina Society for Philosophy Conference (canceled due to COVID-19)
- Referee, Philosophy Compass
- Graduate Prize Advisor for the North Carolina Philosophical Society Conference (2019)
Memberships and Associations
- Member of the honor society, Phi Beta Kappa
- Member of the American Philosophical Association (APA)
- Member of the North American Society for Social Philosophy (NASSP)
- Member of the North Carolina Philosophical Society (NCPS)