Research
I work mainly in epistemology, but I also enjoy thinking about questions in the philosophy of language. My dissertation investigates the rational response to an undertheorized kind of defeat which I call "truth-aptness defeat".
While at UNC, I wrote a master's thesis on KK, a version of which became "Interrogating the Linguistic Argument for KK".
My advisors are Jim Pryor (chair), Ram Neta, and Alex Worsnip.
PUBLICATIONS
Interrogating the Linguistic Argument for KK
The Journal of Philosophy (forthcoming)
A popular argument for KK is that, if true, it pairs naturally with a knowledge norm on assertion to explain why so-called "dubious assertions" (of the form p & ~KKp) are infelicitous. In this paper, I argue that only the less plausible "Strong KK", and not the more plausible "Weak KK", can have that explanatory upshot. Moreover, I argue that there is an alternative (and much less contentious) way to explain the data. Overall, KK has much less explanatory power than it is often taken to have.
WORKS IN PROGRESS
The Varieties of Infelicity
In this paper, I examine the different things that "infelicitous" might mean, and study the consequences for arguments concerning norms on assertion.
De Se Ignorance and Self-Promises
In this paper, I argue that in cases of de se ignorance, self-promises are perfectly coherent. Morals are drawn.
Cautious Monotonicity: Not Cautious Enough?
In this paper, I advance a counterexample to Cautious Monotonicity (also known as "Cautious Monotony").
Please feel free to email me for drafts.
TALKS
Cautious Monotonicity: Not Cautious Enough?
(colloquium, Central APA 2025 [on Zoom])
Truth-Aptness Defeat
("paper in progress" session, Eastern APA 2025)
De Se Ignorance and Self-Promises
(symposium, Central APA 2024)
commentators:
Joanna Lawson
Wan Zang
The Varieties of Infelicity
(symposium, Eastern APA 2024)
commentators:
Ben Holguín
Samuel Taylor
The Varieties of Infelicity
(Duke-UNC graduate philosophy conference, March 2023)
this page last updated 9/3/24