At a Glance

Political Education and Philosophy in Plato and Machiavelli

My complete comparative monograph, entitled Political Education and Philosophy in Plato and Machiavelli, centers around three questions: What is the best way of life? What is the best regime? And what is the nature of the cosmos? I evaluate Plato and Machiavelli's answers to each of these questions through close textual interpretation and attention to the literary aspects of their texts. I argue that their answers are designed to orient founders or potential founders of new regimes and, by extension, the broader community toward a better way of life.

At the same time, both thinkers subtly reveal that their answers are defective. To explain why they do this, I show that Plato and Machiavelli had other, more philosophical readers in mind. By revealing the problems with their answers, both thinkers direct these latter readers away from politics and toward philosophical reflection. Thus, I argue that Plato and Machiavelli have a deep affinity, in that they both seek to educate future political leaders and, at the same time, promote philosophical reflection.

This work challenges the standard view that Plato and Machiavelli are fundamentally opposed and, more broadly, calls into question the sharp division that is often drawn between ancient and modern political thought.

In so doing, my project offers a new perspective on the history of political thought, which clearly distinguishes between historically specific and timeless insights. While the specific political and ethical teachings that great writers, such as Plato and Machiavelli, have to offer may not solve our own political and ethical problems, we stand to learn a great deal from the way in which they negotiate the relationship between philosophy and politics or theory and practice.

Spinoza and Religion at the Foundation of Liberalism

In addition to the topics explored in Political Education and Philosophy in Plato and Machiavelli, I am currently at work on a new project focussing on how Baruch Spinoza's engagement with Judaism and Christianity factors into his conceptualization of a secular liberal politics. I extend the analytical framework from my doctoral research to Spinoza's Ethics, Theologico-Political Treatise, and Political Treatise, arguing that, in these works, Spinoza formulates an anti-theological metaphysics to shape readers into good liberal democratic citizens. I contend that Spinoza seeks not to liberate politics from religion nor to politicize religion, but rather to incite anti-theological fervor and mobilize it in the service of a liberal democratic politics. Ultimately, my research shows that the spirited rejection of theology is constitutive of liberal politics.

Publications

Works in Progress

My teaching focuses on examining key texts in the history of political thought. I find that teaching what one is interested in learning results in greater student engagement. I have taught a course on the history of political thought from Plato to Locke for five years—first as a teaching assistant, then as a course instructor. In Fall 2026, I will teach a course on founding and legislating in Plato's Laws. The texts in these courses invite us to return to the central questions of political philosophy, and I am therefore always enthusiastic about teaching them. For the same reason, I am well-prepared to teach introductory courses on the history of political philosophy and theory and more advanced courses on themes such as law and legislation, political founding, and disagreement in the history of political thought. In my view, the texts that these courses focus on are taught well when they are presented as reflections on central philosophical questions, because this enables students to see how they inform, extend, or challenge one another. It also encourages students to think about where their own views do (or do not) intersect with the arguments in the texts.

Having completed my higher education in philosophy and political science across three different countries, I have gained a strong understanding of how to engage profitably with students who have different backgrounds and intellectual approaches. This is reflected in my classrooms, where students feel free and supported to engage in intellectual discussion. Since I believe that one-on-one mentoring is the most beneficial mode of education, my tutorials and lectures are designed to be both dialogical and collaborative.