Current Projects

"Constitutivism and the Limits of Obligation"

Can moral norms be explained in terms of merely formal features of agency? Constitutivists, who answer yes, also usually hold that the resulting moral view fits more or less exactly with standard pre-theoretical intuitions. Their opponents typically deny that any moral content can be derived from such spare premises. But let's forget whether the constitutivist magic is real and ask another question: If it did work, what kind of moral norms would it support? I think if moral norms are constitutive of agency, those norms will be quite minimal in content. Constitutivists should be revisionists about what morality requires.

"Plain Language Politics" (with Jessica Flanigan)

Proponents of ameliorative analysis favor attempting to revise, improve, or change the meaning of existing concepts in order to advance worthwhile moral and political ends. Examples are wide ranging: <woman>; <racism>; <refugee>; <marriage>; <democracy>; <conspiracy theory> etc. Sometimes ameliorative projects make good moral sense, but we want to call attention to a cost: they can have inegalitarian consequences. When they do, it's better to do politics in plain language.

"Neo-republicanism, Nondomination, and Gun Rights in Uncertain Times"

The political state has an enormous capacity to interfere arbitrarily. We are also vulnerable to arbitrary interference by other persons. In some circumstances, private firearm ownership can help control others' ability to arbitrarily interfere. The civil rights movement provides one kind of example, and recent investments in armed self-defense by BLM groups offer another.

"Justice: Do it."

This is my favorite and most important paper. It argues that the facts about permissibility and impermissibilty are the same for political states as they are for any ordinary person. There are no legitimate but unjust state policies or actions. Nor are there just but illegitimate policies or actions.

"Skepticism about Associative Obligation."

Philosophers think relationships of love and friendship always carry obligations in tow. I think this is false. More, I think that if it were true, it would be bad for love and friendship.