I'm currently an assistant professor in the Philosophy Department at University of California, Davis. My main areas of specialty are Kant and other philosophers of the 17th and 18th centuries (especially Leibniz). I also have research interests in philosophy of mind, social philosophy, and the philosophy of race. Before coming to Davis in 2021, I completed my PhD at Princeton University under the supervision of Desmond Hogan.

 

For the Academic Year 2023-2024, I'll be serving as the President of the American Association for Mexican Philosophers (AAMP). Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions about next year's meeting of the AAMP, or if you'd like your name to be added to our mailing list. I'll also be holding an Underrepresented Scholars Fellowship, awarded by the University of California's Humanities Research Institute.

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I'm currently the faculty advisor for Davis' MAP (Minorities and Philosophy) chapter, as well as the chair of our Diversity Working Group. If you have any questions or concerns about diversity, equity, and inclusion at Davis or in philosophy at large, please don't hesitate to be in touch with me.

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My research concerns the history of the philosophy of mind and psychology in German philosophy between Leibniz and Kant. I argue that Kant's philosophy of mind is closer to Leibniz's than has previously been acknowledged. Nonetheless, Kant's view has a distinctive advantage over Leibniz's: it allows for the formation of true judgements about individuals. Along the way, I provide an account of Kant's elusive notion of an intuition within its historical context in 18th century German philosophy. You can find more information about my research here.

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In addition to my historical work, I have research interests in the philosophy of race and social ontology. My research project aims to answer the questions: What explains why individuals belong to racial groups? How do we make sense of the fact that there is much disagreement about which individuals belong, as evidenced by phenomena studied by the social sciences? Do ordinary subjects tend to defer to experts, or other kinds of authorities, about questions of racial categorization? Should they? In a nutshell, my project aims to elucidate the nature of racial membership and its relation to notions of expertise, authority, and recognition.

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Outside philosophy, I am an avid birdwatcher (you can find some of my favorite photos here). I also enjoy exploring new places by foot and playing the drums.

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