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I am a philosopher and ethicist. My research integrates philosophy with other relevant disciplines, such as epidemiology, economics and political theory, to explore conceptual and practical challenges in the sustainable and equitable improvement of human wellbeing. I focus particularly on public health ethics, and the ownership and governance of ideas and information.
Many people (especially philosophers themselves) tend to assume that philosophy is not a practical discipline. Philosophy’s supposed lack of utility is seen as a badge of pride by some philosophers, and a reason to dismiss it by somewhat greater numbers of nonphilosophers.
Both are mistaken. Philosophy done well springs from, and returns to, the problems we face in living in the world. The problems that most urgently require philosophical reflection in any generation will usually be those which come out of changed conditions of human life, rather than those which simply continue long-running philosophical debates at a greater level of sophistication. John Dewey put it best: “Philosophy recovers itself when it ceases to be a device for dealing with the problems of philosophers and becomes a method, cultivated by philosophers, for dealing with the problems of men.”
I focus particularly on public health ethics, and the ownership and governance of ideas and information. For more information about my research, and to download some of my papers, you can go to my website: http://publicethics.net