ACADEMIC RESEARCH
This page details some of my current academic research interests and projects. A full list of my publications and presentations is available on my CV/Resume page. My non-academic projects are available under Professional Experiences.
Global Health Justice
One of the most pervasive forms of injustice in the world is in the realm of health, but the philosophical literature on global health justice remains sparse.
Drawing on my expertise in global justice and health justice, my doctoral thesis developed a cosmopolitan account of global health justice, whereby everyone (regardless of nationality or place of birth) has genuine opportunities to be healthy.
In the domain of health justice more generally, I am interested in the axiology of health (whether it has intrinsic or independent value, or if it is merely reducible to wellbeing) and debates about aggregating health and non-health risks and benefits, among other topics.
Health and Relational Equality
Relational egalitarianism is a highly influential theory of equality, with significant implications for the design of society. However, very little has been said about its implications for the structure and function of health(care) systems.
Building on my earlier work showing the salience of healthcare for people's social standing (Journal of Ethics), I am undertaking a project analysing the demands of relational equality in the sphere of health. The first stage of this project is an analysis of the ethics of private healthcare and its implications for justice, solidarity, and democratic citizenship.
Methodological Debates in Moral/Political Philosophy
What is the point of moral and political philosophy? Should political philosophy be concerned about people's opinions about justice? Should feasibility limit the demandingness of moral prescriptions? Are normative principles dependent upon facts? I am interested in what role philosophy can play in the real world and the relationship between facts and principles.
I have published a recent paper (Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy) on the topic of the 'real world' in philosophical theorising, with ongoing work in this space.
Care and Vulnerability in Political Philosophy
There is an assumption that political subjects are, reasonable, rational, able to deliberate about their needs and interests, and free of physical and mental defects. This is divorced from the reality of human beings as inherently vulnerable.
Building on my general work in health, I analyse the conceptual and normative significance of vulnerability for theories of justice and care. I aim to show that vulnerability is an analytically useful concept and can provide stronger normative grounding for duties of justice and obligations of beneficence than prevailing conceptions based on agency, rationality, and mutual cooperation.
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