I specialize in German Idealism (especially Hegel) and 20th century phenomenology. Prior to joining Boston College, I held a Humboldt Fellowship for Senior Researchers at the Universityof Cologne. Starting in fall 2025, I will serve as co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of the British Society for Phenomenology.
My research on Hegel focuses on his philosophy of mind (what it is, what purpose it serves, and how it is connected to the Logic). I am currently working on a project on the life of the mind in Hegel that emphasizes the psychology of memory and its moral implications in the Encyclopedia of Philosophical Sciences. My next goal is to expand this research across the post-Kantian landscape, researching how the accounts of cognition elaborated within the tradition of German Idealism inform and shape projects of social reform and moral education.
My work in 20th century phenomenology grapples with issues of self- and other experience, paying special attention to habit, empathy, and memory (based on the works of Husserl, Stein, and Merleau-Ponty). One of my objectives is to investigate the phenomenology of habitin connection to the processes of attitude formation and attitude change. Over the next few years, I also aim to explore the relation between 20th century phenomenology and sociology, focusing on the articulation of power relations and solidarity in Merleau-Ponty, Arendt, Stein,and Weil.
I believe that the dialogue between different philosophical traditions (e.g. German Idealism, classical and critical phenomenology, critical theory, Anglo-American philosophy) as well as between philosophy and other disciplines (e.g. literature, social psychology, cognitive sciences, and psychopathology) enriches not only the community of researchers but also society at large, reinforcing maturity of knowledge and challenging standardized assumptions about individuals and subjective experiences.
I am happy to supervise doctoral candidateswho intend to carry out research on Hegel's philosophy or in specific areas of phenomenology and existentialism that involve perception and social experience.
