Academic interests and Background
My main research interests are in Plato and in neo-Aristotelian virtue ethics. I am engaged in two general research projects: the first concerns the philosophical significance of Plato's dramatic portrayal of virtue and the other, the relationship between virtue and the psychology of violence. I am currently working on a manuscript on Plato, entitled, Plato, Tragedy and Comedy: The Role of Drama in the Pursuit of Virtue. In addition, I am putting together a co-edited volume (with Pierre Destrée) on Laughter and Comedy in Ancient Philosophy, and I am in the planning stages for a book, tentatively entitled, Aristotelian Virtue and the Psychology of Violence.
As an undergraduate, I studied Philosophy at Vassar College, and I did my graduate work at Boston University, where I completed the Dual Degree program in Philosophy and Classical Studies. Before coming to the University of Oslo, I was Associate Professor at Marquette University.