Research

My central research is on the moral philosophy of Mary Midgley (1919-2018). I primarily focus Midgley's ethical naturalism.

Broadly, my work straddles two areas:

The History of 20th century (analytic) philosophy. I work on various women philosophers operating around the time of the Second World War, including Mary Midgley, Philippa Foot, Iris Murdoch and Elisabeth Anscombe.

Contemporary Meta-Ethics. I also study the development of the contemporary school of meta-ethics known as Neo-Aristotelian naturalism. My interest is both historical and philosophical. Historically, my work situates and connects Midgley within the development of this school alongside interlocutors. Philosophically, I develop a Neo-Aristotelian reading of Midgley's ethical naturalism.

UC Berkeley, California

Publications

‘Mary Midgley’s Beast and Man (1978): a re-appraisal’, British Journal for the History of Philosophy (forthcoming).

‘Metaphysical Animals: How Four Women Brought Philosophy Back to Life’. British Journal for the History of Philosophy, 1–4 (book review).

‘Woman, Philosopher, Mother’, in What have Animals ever done for us? Book of Essays. RSCPA. (ed) Geraldine Bedell (book chapter).

‘Mary Midgley’, in R. Buxton and L. Whiting (eds) The Philosopher Queens: The Lives and Legacies of Philosophy’s Unsung Women. London: Unbound (book chapter).

Me and David Midgley at the Wartime Quartet Conference, Durham University

Selected Talks and Conferences

‘Is Mary Midgley an ethical naturalist?’(poster) Wartime Quartet: Significance, Legacy, Spirit (conference), Durham University (June 2023).
‘Addressing Mary Midgley’s Scholarly Neglect’, The London-Berkeley Conference, Berkeley, California (May 2023)
‘Perspectives on Life Forms: Was Mary Midgley a Wittgensteinian?’Wittgenstein and the Concept of the Woman conference, University of Madrid (March 2023).
‘Combating the Exclusion of Midgley: The History of Philosophy as a Conversation’ Birkbeck Postgraduate Research Seminar (November 2022).
‘Women in the History of 20th Century Philosophy’ University of Oxford’s Postgraduate Society on Women in the History of Philosophy (November 2021).
‘On The Exclusion of Mary Midgley from Dominant Narratives’ Extending New Narratives, at International Association of Women Philosophers (July 2021).
‘Delimiting the Ethical Domain: Midgley as a Supplement to Foot’ British Society for the History of Philosophy (BSHP) annual conference (April 2021).
‘Naturalism and World-Oriented: Midgley as a Supplement to Foot’ at British Postgraduate Philosophy Association (BPPA). (April 2021)
‘What Is Philosophy For? Mary Midgley, (presented by Ellie Robson)’, Cambridge Minorities and Philosophy (May 2020).
‘Instincts and Why they Matter’, 100 Years On: Mary Midgley Memorial Conference. (September 2019).

Academic Service

Chair for two sessions at the 97th Joint Session of The Aristotelian Society and The Mind Association Conference (7-9th July).
Committee member of Birkbeck, Minorities and Philosophy Group (2019-2023).
Co-curator of New Undergraduate Reading List, (women) In Parenthesis Project.
Research assistant on the (women) In Parenthesis Project (October 2018-19). This included coordinating an (women) In Parenthesis Postgraduate Reading Group (2018-2019), launching a reading group website, visiting, researching, and photographing items from the Mary Midgley Archive. Writing explanatory pieces for the (women) In Parenthesis Website.
‘Open and Archives’ session at Durham University Book Festival, Session at the Mary and Geoff Midgley Archives, coordinator (alongside Andrew Gray) Palace Green Library, Durham. (October 2019).
Coordinator of (women) In Parenthesis Undergraduate reading group (2017-18).