University of Texas at Austin
Department of Philosophy
PhD, 2007
Conway, Arkansas, United States of America
Areas of Specialization
Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy
  •  71
    Philosophy for Living: Exploring Diversity and Immersive Assignments in a PWOL Approach
    American Association of Philosophy Teachers Studies in Pedagogy 6 104-122. 2021.
    In this article, we reflect on our experiences teaching a PWOL course called Philosophy for Living. The course uses modules focused on different historical philosophical ways of life (Epicureanism, Stoicism, Confucianism, Existentialism, etc.) to engage students in exploring how philosophy can be a way of life and how its methods, virtues, and ideas can improve their own lives. We describe and compare our experiences with two central aspects of our approach: engagement with diversity and the use…Read more
  •  14
    Transforming Ambition
    Ancient Philosophy 42 (1): 11-31. 2022.
    Plato’s Gorgias depicts Socratic psychotherapy, showing Socrates aiming at “what’s best” for those he talks to (521d). The negative aspect of Socrates’ efforts—refuting claims, shaming people for misplaced values—has been well documented and discussed. Focusing on the conversations with Gorgias and Callicles, I highlight a neglected positive side to these interactions: How Socrates seeks to draw on what these characters deeply care about—here, leadership—to inspire philosophical reflection on ho…Read more
  •  47
    The ethical significance of gratitude in Epicureanism
    British Journal for the History of Philosophy 27 (6): 1092-1112. 2019.
    ABSTRACTMany texts in the Epicurean tradition mention gratitude but do not explicitly explain its function in Epicurean ethics. I review passages that mention or discuss gratitude and ingratitude a...
  •  47
    Socrates' Philosophical Protreptic in Euthydemus 278c–282d
    Archiv für Geschichte der Philosophie 94 (2): 208-228. 2012.
  •  47
    In recent years, Plato’s Lysis has received much attention from professional scholars, but could it be used as a text in introductory classes? It is true that the Lysis poses challenges as an introductory text—its arguments are fast-paced and abstract. But I argue that the Lysis is actually an excellent pedagogical text, well suited to engage novices and introduce them to philosophy’s distinctive methods and way of thinking. It works particularly well as a text for engaging students in active le…Read more
  •  20
    Ethics after Aristotle by Brad Inwood (review)
    Journal of the History of Philosophy 54 (1): 157-158. 2016.
    The past half-century has seen a surge of interest in Aristotle’s ethics. For participants in this revived neo-Aristotelian tradition, Aristotle’s writings and distinctive ethical approach provide an important touchstone and inspiration for their own ideas. But this has happened before. In the classical world, from his own students and colleagues to the great commentator, Alexander of Aphrodisias, Aristotle’s followers adapted, debated, and reworked their master’s ideas, often in the context of …Read more
  •  73
    Self-Care, Self-Knowledge, and Politics in the Alcibiades I
    Epoché: A Journal for the History of Philosophy 15 (2): 395-413. 2011.
    In the Alcibiades I, Socrates argues for the importance of self-knowledge. Recent interpreters contend that the self-knowledge at issue here is knowledge of an impersonal and purely rational self. I argue against this interpretation and advance an alternative. First, the passages proponents of this interpretation cite—Socrates’ argument that the self is the soul, and his suggestion that Alcibiades seek self-knowledge by looking for his soul’s reflection in the soul of another—do not unambiguousl…Read more
  •  13
    The Ethics of Confuscius and Aristotle (review)
    Teaching Philosophy 32 (2): 220-223. 2009.
  •  61
    In Plato's Lysis, Socrates' conversation with Lysis features logical fallacies and questionable premises and closes with a blatantly eristic trick. I show how the form and content of these arguments make sense if we interpret them from the perspective of Socrates' pedagogical goals. Lysis is a competitive teenager who, along with his friend Menexenus, enjoys the game of eristic disputation. Socrates recognizes Lysis' predilections, and he constructs his arguments to engage Lysis' interests and l…Read more
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