About Me

I am Professor of Philosophy at Fordham University in New York City. 

 

I grew up, to the extent that I have, in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Pacific Northwest. In 1974 I received a B.A. in philosophy from Pomona College, and in 1981 I was granted a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame.

 

I've been a member of the Philosophy Department at Fordham since 1980. During that time I have served as Chair of the department as well as Director of Graduate Studies and Associate Chair for Undergraduates. I've received no major awards, but have not completely lost hope for National League Rookie of Year (perhaps in a future rebirth).

 

I live with my wife and our two daughters in New York City during the academic year. 

 

In the summer we live on the Outer Cape in Massachusetts.

 

 

 

 

I have managed to write or edit five books and to publish a number of articles, chapters, reviews and the like (see the sections on Books and Papers).

 

 

 

Primary Philosophical Interests:

  • The philosophical implications of moral diversity and conflicts within moral viewpoints and across cultures and traditions. Hence: issues pertaining to moral pluralism, incommensurability, dilemmas, disagreements, relativism, skepticism, objectivity and the like.                                          

  • Contemporary normative moral philosophies, especially but not only those rooted in the Aristotelian and Kantian traditions, and theories of happiness and well-being related to these.                                                                  

  • Ancient philosophical/spiritual traditions that understand and promote the attainment of well-being as a whole comprising wisdom, virtue and tranquility (primarily Hellenistic, Indian and Chinese perspectives): the affinities and divergences among these outlooks, and what they can, and cannot, offer us today.                                                         

  • Buddhist philosophy in all its aspects, but especially those pertaining to ethical thought in the South Asian (Indian) schools and their progeny in the Theravadin and Tibetan traditions as well as Chan and Zen in East Asia.