In short, I am a PhD. student studying philosophy at Marquette University, and I am chiefly interested in ancient and medieval metaphysics. My current interest is discussing the Neoplatonic elements in the thought of Thomas Aquinas.
At Christendom College I received a diverse liberal arts education that allows me to consider issues not just as a philosopher, but as a thinker engaged with theology, history, literature, etc. Although there was special focus given to Thomistic thought, I studied philosophy in all the major historical periods. Double majoring in philosophy and theology has given me not only proficiency in both disciplines but al…
In short, I am a PhD. student studying philosophy at Marquette University, and I am chiefly interested in ancient and medieval metaphysics. My current interest is discussing the Neoplatonic elements in the thought of Thomas Aquinas.
At Christendom College I received a diverse liberal arts education that allows me to consider issues not just as a philosopher, but as a thinker engaged with theology, history, literature, etc. Although there was special focus given to Thomistic thought, I studied philosophy in all the major historical periods. Double majoring in philosophy and theology has given me not only proficiency in both disciplines but also the ability to relate them. For example, one of my undergraduate theses focused on Origen’s relation to Platonism.
After receiving my B.A., I taught logic and grammar for three years at a college preparatory school. I then pursued philosophy at the graduate level at Loyola Marymount University. LMU’s pluralistic environment augmented my philosophical proclivity in two ways. First, I was exposed to a wider range of different philosophies, studying Kant’s idealism, Kierkegaard’s existentialism, and Ricoeur’s hermeneutics. Second, from studying ancient philosophy under Dr. Eric Perl, I was introduced to reading Plato with a more holistic view, paying more attention to the use of literary devices and considering how other ancient writers, such as Plotinus, engaged his thought. One of the fruits of this philosophical pursuit was my paper, “The Divine Kings Inside Us,” which argues for an interpretation of the philosopher king in the Republic as a symbol of intellect. This project involved my analysis of critical passages across various Platonic dialogues in order to present more systematically the philosopher’s thoughts on divinity, intellect, and the human soul.
In August of 2018, I began studying at Marquette University as a fully funded PhD. student. I am intrigued largely by recent interpretive theses of Plato (e.g. Christopher Rowe’s and Lloyd Gerson’s) that approach the dialogues synchronically. Treating the literary elements found in Plato’s dialogues as germane to his philosophy, recent scholarship, in my opinion, has rendered more fruitful and coherent elucidations of Plato’s thought. At the doctorate level, I am also studying the complex ways Neoplatonic and medieval thinkers construe Plato and how the recent literary exegesis of Plato either supports or attenuates these interpretations. Of particular interest to me are the Platonic elements present in the thought of Thomas Aquinas via his Neoplatonic influences, the Liber de Causis and Pseudo-Dionysius. I have recently published in the St. Austin Review an article on how Aquinas’ Neoplatonism relates to Lemaitre’s Big Bang cosmological model. Marquette University has been most complementary to my pursuits with its historical approach and long tradition of producing research in medieval philosophy.
Currently I teach philosophy and theology at Bishop Ireton High School, and I am an adjunct professor at my alma mater, Christendom College.
