I am a current graduate student with the Department of Philosophy of Gonzaga University, located in Spokane, Washington. My reading of philosophy began at Gannon University, located in Erie, Pennsylvania, where I began my studies as a Roman Catholic Seminarian and a History major. I was eventually drawn toward philosophy (thanks in no small respect to the fact that I was required to fulfill thirty credit-hours of coursework within philosophy as a seminarian), eventually declaring it my major. My Bachelor of Arts was earned in 2010. In 2013 I earned my first graduate degree in Public Administration.
At this time I am most interested in the general fields of philosophy of religion, ethics, and meta-philosophy; however, I am one of those aspirant philosophers who is simply intrigued by all issues of philosophical import. As such, I have begun to explore the possibility of research within philosophical and meta-logic (primarily modal systems), the history of philosophy (i.e. the relationship between Parmenides, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle), feminism and gender studies (this is brand new, so I have begun my foundational readings, having limited prior exposure), the philosophy of love (I love Plato's 'Symposium'--it is my favorite of his dialogues), among other fields within the discipline.
Among my three definitive interests, there are particular questions which resonate most for me: what can we make of the problem of evil today?; can we reconcile the "god of the philosophers" with traditional theism (the theism of the three Abrahamic faiths)?; has science definitively quashed religion as viable lens through which to view our world?; what is the nature of philosophy-in-itself, the role it plays in our lives, and what is the ideal pedagogical methodology?; what can be done within the philosophical community to open it up to hitherto unheard, or marginalized, philosophical voices?;what is the nature of the virtues, especially justice?; are the myriad systems of ethical enquiry mutually exclusive, or can we salvage pieces from each to develop a unified theory of ethical responsibility? Mind you, this is only a smattering of the questions which pique my interest.
Concerning my developing interests, I am only pursuing a terminal M.A., so I recognize that I have time with which I can speculate how I desire to specialize. As my program director put it (paraphrasing, of course), it is more than likely that my interests will morph and evolve as I work my way through the program; in particular, the reading list for our Comprehensive Examinations, as well as any assistantships I may have (I am concurrently a Research GA for one faculty member, and a Teaching GA for another, both of whom are logicians).
I am greatly looking forward to working through my program of study, which consists, this term, of a seminar on the moral and political philosophy of Alasdair MacIntyre, as well as a lower division survey course on ancient philosophy. My goal for obtaining the M.A. is to enter a doctoral program, either in the United States or over seas. I have begun to research the programs at a number of British, Irish, and German universities, among other European institutions, but the majority of my prospective applications are found within the US.
