Description

There are three things that motivate my philosophical interests. First, I want my research to have practical application that isn't too difficult to motivate for people inexperienced with (analytic) philosophy. Given everyone deals with life, death, and health, bioethics seemed like a natural fit. Second, I want to provide people with tools and conceptual framings to engage in productive and meaningful anti-racist discourse and action. Some of my earliest (and most unpleasant) memories stem around race and racism. Prior to studying the philosophy of race, many of my questions related to race and racism were met with answers that were (to put it nicely) inappropriate, inadequate, or incorrect. Thus, I think it is important to give others what I was/am looking for - helpful ways to navigate experiences of race and racism. This leads to my third motivation. I want to be able to serve communities outside of academia with my work. I want my academic career to be a demonstration of goodwill toward others. In thinking through issues related to race, racism, and bioethics, my hope is that I can provide clarity on these topics and empower others. This dissertation is my attempt to tie these three motivations together