Research
The Philosophy of Empathy
I have worked on different problems in relation to empathy. Inititally, my focus was on the significance of especially affective empathy for the development of moral capacities. More recently, I have worked on a conceptual framework, separating different types of empathy, and I have discussed numerous applied areas. For instance, I have asked if we can empathise with future generations, or whether narcissistic personality disorder can be explained as impairment of empathy. I continue to work in this area and I'd be happy to supervise PhD students.
Health Justice
Initially, I worked on the concepts of health and disease. For instance, my PhD thesis addressed the concept of mental illness, esepecially whether the notion constitutes a scientific norm or is just based on social norms. I then combined this conceptual research with my interest in philosophical theories of justice and developed a theory of health justice. I work within a framework of sufficientarianism, a theory of social justice that aims at enough for all. In terms of health justice this idea would require enough health for all. However, health itself is not a good that can be allocated, and it is a condition that is determined by many determinants, including social circumstances. I have recently started developing a framework called "health capital", together with my colleague Ben Davies (Sheffield University), that is supposed to ground a new sufficientarian theory of health capital justice.
Paternalism
This is a long-standing interest of mine. I have published quite a few papers on paternalism, also in relation to political perfectionism. My interest has branched out more generally into areas that are traditionally not directly linked to paternalism, because they do not involve coercion. I am especially interested in more subtle forms of will formation, for instance reactive attitudes, such as contempt or anger.
Research grants
Normative implications of the metaphysics of extra-corporeal gestation
LANCASTER UNIVERSITY (UK)
October 2023 - September 2024
How Does it Feel? Interpersonal Understanding and Affective Empathy
ARTS AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH COUNCIL
February 2020 - July 2023
Research collaborations
Centre for the Humanities and Social Sciences of Health, Medicine and Technology
Member
I am one of the co-leads of the research theme "Arts, Well-Being and Mental Health" https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/humanities-social-sciences-health-medicine-technology/