About Me

I am a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Political Science at The University of Wisconsin-Madison. My classes cover the ancient political philosophy, early modern political theory, and American political thought. My primary research interests are ancient Greek political theory and philosophic conceptions authoritarian rule, focusing especially on the political philosophy of Socrates and his students. I have previously held fellowships at Princeton University (2025-2026) and the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Center at the City College of New York (2023-2025). My doctoral studies were done at The University of Texas at Austin, completing my dissertation in 2023 on the critique of tyrannical power in the philosophy of Plato and Xenophon. That doctoral work has since been developed into my first book, Universal Tyranny: The Socratic Attack on Tyrannical Psychology, which was published by SUNY Press in June 2026.

Several of my article projects use the insights of ancient political philosophy to inform my reflections on modern political theory, including an article on Immanuel Kant’s philosophy of history entitled, “Is Progress Possible? Moral Improvement in Kant’s Renewed Attempt”, which appeared in the academic journal History of Political Thought. I also have article projects on Kierkegaard and W.E.B. Du Bois under peer-review.

My teaching combines survey courses on the history of political philosophy with targeted classes on ancient thought and the ideas of the American founding.

My current research expands upon the Socratic critique of authoritarian structures of power with a book project focusing on the defense of constitutional rule and human dignity in the thought of Plato and Xenophon, exploring these concepts through their account of the trial and death of Socrates.