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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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. I have recently argued that we should reject varieties of social constructionist accounts of races which ground the reality of race on stereotypes or other belief-like representations. More generally, my work aims to elucidate the relation between, on the one hand, social categories and categorization judgments, and expertise and authority on the other.

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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, usually with my lovely wife.

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