Is Schopenhauer an Aesthetic Hedonist?

In Progress. In this paper I argue that Schopenhauer is not an aesthetic hedonist as he is often supposed to be. A non-hedonic reading of Schopenhauer, I argue, makes good on some apparent inconsistencies in his work and coheres with some of his less appreciated remarks on aesthetics.

Why Doesn't Murdoch Just Say What She Means?

In Progress. This paper analyzes some of the differences between Murdoch's philosophical methodology and the methodology of her peers in analytic philosophy, arguing that her sometimes indirect and cryptic writing style serves an important philosophical purpose for her.

Trembling and Unafraid: Aesthetic Value in the Sublime

Masters Thesis. A revitalization of interest in the sublime has taken way. At the same time, there has been a proliferation of theories of aesthetic value. These two bodies of literature have been strangely silent one another. Given that the sublime presents us with a unique sense of cognitive and agential failure, we might wonder why we prize it so highly as an aesthetic good. In this paper, I propose a "Schopenhauerian" engagement theory can close the gap.