Most of my recent work can be divided into several broad, partly overlapping research projects. This page introduces these and provides links to articles that contribute to them.
Zhuangist Ethics
For several years, I have been developing an account of Daoist ethics, focusing primarily on the Zhuangzi, which I will eventually publish as a book. Contributions to this project so far are listed here.
Mind and Action in Classical Chinese Thought
One of my core interests, beginning with my Ph.D. dissertation, has been to explore the distinctive features of classical Chinese philosophical psychology. This research involves developing accounts of early Chinese theories of mind, action, epistemology, and logic. My work on this project so far includes the articles on this page.
Chinese Epistemology
Much of my work touches on issues in classical Chinese epistemology. Relevant publications are listed here.
Mohist Thought
The preceding pair of long-term research projects led me to devote much attention to the philosophy of the Mozi, as I concluded that understanding Mohism is a prerequisite for understanding many of the theoretical background assumptions of early Chinese thought. As a result, Mohism itself ended up becoming one of my major research areas. My publications in this area include these.
Language and Logic in Chinese Thought
As a result of my interest in Mohism and in philosophy of mind and action, I've done much work on early Chinese philosophy of language and logic. Related publications include these.
Xunzi
Xunzi is among the most fascinating philosophers of any era or tradition. The compilation of writings named after him presents intriguing views in ethics, metaethics, epistemology, political theory, and philosophy of language. Xunzi's Confucianism also presents many interesting contrasts with the thought of the Zhuangzi, which in many places I believe is responding to Xunzi or Xunzi-like positions. Some of my work on Xunzi is collected here.