Biography
I joined King’s as a Lecturer in 2020, with a cross-department appointment in Philosophy and Classics. I took an MA and PhD in Philosophy at King’s (2012 and 2018, respectively). Prior to that I completed an MPhil in History and Philosophy of Science and a BA in Chemical Engineering at the University of Cambridge (2010 and 2009, respectively).
Research interests and PhD supervision
- Ancient Greek epistemology and ethics, particularly in Plato & Aristotle
- Epistemology, particularly epistemic value theory and epistemic virtue theory
- Philosophy of education
My primary research engages with questions of epistemic value in Aristotle (e.g. why are epistemic states such as knowledge, understanding, and wisdom valuable?), with a focus on Aristotle’s virtue theory (e.g. are certain epistemic states valuable because they are virtuous epistemic states?). As such, my research straddles Aristotle’s theoretical epistemology and ethics. I also have research interests in contemporary epistemology (I’m currently working on an account of the nature and value of open-mindedness) and philosophy of education (in particular, philosophical education and its impact in the context of prison education).
Teaching
At King’s, I’m teaching introductory modules in both ancient Greek philosophy and contemporary political philosophy, as well as a specialist module in ancient Greek political philosophy. Before joining King’s, I have taught a broad range of topics in ancient Greek & Roman philosophy, including Presocratics, Plato, Aristotle, and Hellenistic philosophy. I’ve also taught a number of modules in contemporary philosophy, including political philosophy, epistemology (including social epistemology), and ethics. I’ve taught variously at King’s College London, Birkbeck University of London, and Queen Mary University of London.
Expertise and public engagement
I run and co-deliver a programme of introductory philosophy courses in London prisons. The courses introduce students to core philosophical topics and skills. They are primarily discussion based, with the aim of making the courses accessible irrespective of formal education and/or English literacy. As such, the programme functions to broaden educational access in London’s prisons. Many of these courses have been funded by King’s. More recently, I’ve been working as a Special Adviser to the charity, Philosophy in Prison, for whom I advise on course development and good practice in prison education.
Selected publications
- “Imagery and argument in Plato’s cave”, in M.M. McCabe & S. Trépanier (eds.) Re-reading the Republic (Edinburgh University Press, expected 2022)
- “Philosophy education in the prison context”, Special Issue of Journal of Prison Education and Reentry, co-edited with Dr Kirstine Szifris (in preparation, expected 2022)
- “A close examination of the pseudo-Aristotelian Mechanical Problems: the homology between mechanics and poetry as technē”, Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, 43(2): 300-306 (2012)