Research

My work primarily investigates the implications of moral philosophy for social, political, and legal institutions. I am particularly interested in how the law can express a commitment to moral principles and facilitate (or hinder) the development and exercise of moral agency.

In my Ph.D. dissertation, I highlight several underappreciated aspects of open-mindedness that enrich our understanding of its epistemic, moral, and political significance. The common understanding of open- mindedness describes it as a purely epistemic virtue consisting in an individual’s willingness to expose herself, horizontally, to different views and to cognitively engage with them. I argue that this purely epistemic, intellectual, horizontal, and individual-centered conception is incomplete in several respects.

1. Vertical Dimension: open-mindedness comprises also a vertical dimension, oriented not only towards broadening one’s perspective, but also towards deepening one’s understanding of a given subject. This requires sensitivity to relevant features and complexities, which are often obscured by superficial engagement.

2. Moral and Relational Value: when the subject matter involves other people, vertical open-mindedness has a distinctively moral value. It fosters an attitude of respect and recognition towards others, which is crucial for inclusive and cooperative interactions.

3. Practical Dimension: open-mindedness towards other people has a practical, action-oriented dimension, which calls for practical engagement and cooperation.

4. Collective Dimension: open-mindedness can also be articulated at the collective level through the creation of structures and procedures that embody forms of institutional open-mindedness. Legal frameworks, for instance, can promote individual open-mindedness by fostering environments where diversity is engaged meaningfully. 

My principal claim is that there is an imperfect duty of open-mindedness that establishes moral and epistemic requirements for our individual and collective agency. Recognizing this duty enriches our understanding of well-conducted inquiry, highlights our obligations to engage with others—including those we are not yet related to, such as prospective co-workers or co-citizens—and provides normative guidance for fostering inclusion in diverse societies.

My dissertation is here.

Research Agenda

Building on my dissertation, my current and future research agenda is organized into three interconnected strands:

1. Open-Mindedness and Practical Inclusion

This strand applies the theory of open-mindedness to pressing issues in moral and political philosophy, particularly in the context of legal and institutional frameworks.

• In “Liberal Democracies, Immigration, and Cultural Values” (under review), I argue that restricting immigration for cultural preservation reasons on grounds of self-determination is inconsistent with a commitment to openness to cultural change that is fundamentally embedded in liberal democratic principles and institutions.

• Another paper, “The Moral Grounds of Antidiscrimination in the Workplace” (forthcoming submission), examines the moral foundations of anti-discrimination laws. I argue that evaluating job candidates based on their perceived fit with workplace culture undermines a moral duty to recognize the equal status of potential cooperators. Anti-discrimination norms, I contend, are not merely instruments of distributive justice but also expressions of a deeper commitment to fostering cooperation across differences..

This strand demonstrates how legal and institutional mechanisms can embody open-mindedness as a practical virtue, addressing systemic exclusion and fostering more inclusive communities.

2. Epistemic Dimensions of Open-Mindedness

The second strand focuses explicitly on epistemological questions, further developing the implications of open-mindedness for inquiry and knowledge practices.

• In “Vertical Open-Mindedness” (forthcoming submission), I introduce the concept of vertical open-mindedness, which emphasizes the importance of deepening understanding rather than merely broadening perspectives. I argue that this vertical dimension provides a better explanation of certain epistemic failures that have traditionally been analyzed through the lens of moral encroachment.

• In “Open-Mindedness, Attention, and the Priority Mechanism” (forthcoming submission), I argue that inquiring with an open mind requires being properly sensitive and responsive to relevant features of the subject matter to achieve further understanding of it. The paper investigates the extent to which this requirement can be explained in terms of how the psychological mechanisms that regulate patterns of attention are set up.

• Building on this work, I plan to investigate the use of statistical data and AI in making predictions about individuals and how my account of open-mindedness could point towards possible remedies against problematic algorithmic bias.

This strand underscores my commitment to advancing epistemological theory while addressing its practical implications in contemporary challenges, such as the ethics of AI.

3. Markets, Morality, and Fairness

The third strand examines the intersection of law, markets, and distributive justice, focusing on how legal frameworks can promote fairness and ethical relationships in economic systems.

• In “Incentives, Talents, and Patterns of Distribution” (under review), I analyze the conditions under which incentivizing talents aligns with egalitarian principles. I argue that such incentives must respect the equal moral worth of all individuals and avoid perpetuating structural inequalities.

• Another project, “Sexual Objectification and Market Exchanges” (work-in-progress), investigates the morality of commodification in the context of sex work. I propose a principled account of why sex may be unsuitable for standard market exchanges, emphasizing the motives and interpersonal dynamics that distinguish it from other forms of labor.

This strand highlights the normative challenges of designing legal and economic systems that reflect and promote moral equality.

Overall, my research seeks to bridge epistemology, moral philosophy, and legal theory to advance our understanding of how inclusive institutions can promote fairness, cooperation, and mutual recognition.