RESEARCH
I have two main research lines: one on radicalization, the other on the structure of normativity.
I also have an interest in the philosophy of AI and modern philosophy, especially Nietzsche.
Fanaticism, Conspiracy Theories, Disinformation
When we think of fanatics, conspiracy theorists, or those who fall prey to disinformation, it's tempting to assume they're acting against their rational inclinations: that they are biased, psychologically weak, or morally corrupt.
My research provides an alternative explanation: in many cases, these people attempt to act in accordance with what they take rationality to require – ideals such as coherence and unity – but fail precisely because they pursue them with a rigidity that gives rise to the intolerance and violence that trouble us today.
This research line explores this connection between failures in how we pursue rationality and the emergence of social and political pathologies.
Work on this area:
2026
"Disinformation and Grievance Narratives," Synthese, 207(27), pp. 1-24.
Under review
"Conspiracy Thinking: When Understanding Goes Wrong"
In-progress
"Fanaticism as Intolerance of Conflict"
Deepfakes, Rationality
I'm currently writing a paper on the epistemic harms of political deepfakes. Scholars often worry that deepfakes, by resembling real videos, erode the public's confidence in whether any video can be trusted. But this misses an important phenomenon: many deepfakes are clearly false parodies. If they are problematic, it is not because they are counterfeit, but because they trivialize outrageous scenarios and force them into public discourse.
More broadly, my work on AI extends my two research lines. On radicalization: whether AI systems - from bots and recommendation algorithms to LLMs - interact with people's excessive pursuit of coherence in ways that amplify and entrench it. On normativity: given my interest in the limits of coherence as an ideal, what role demands for coherence should play in AI systems, especially LLMs, and how much weight they should carry.
Work on this area
In-progress
"Deepfakes, Inquiry, and Going Off the Rails"
Moral and Epistemic Conflict, Coherence
My work on fanaticism, disinformation, and conspiracy theories is underpinned by aN interest in understanding the structure of normative domains – moral, prudential, and epistemic – and how this shapes our conception of rationality. Can there be genuine conflict within these domains? If so, what role should ideals such as coherence play within rationality? These questions drive my second research line.
The constructive aim of this research line is to articulate and defend a pluralistic account that accommodates genuine conflict within and across normative domains.
Work on this area:
In-progress
"Is Incoherence in the Epistemic Normative Domain Undesirable?"
In-progress
"The Dilemma with Moral Dilemmas"
Nihilism, Ressentiment
I draw on the history of philosophy, especially Nietzsche, to inform my work on radicalization and normativity and to deepen my understanding of these phenomena.
I am now writing a paper on Nietzsche’s notion of ressentiment. There, I argue that ressentiment promises a pathological form of understanding, akin to the form of grasping involved in what I call grievance narratives and problematic conspiracy thinking.
A separate paper, “Nietzschean Nihilism in Context: The Puzzle of Christianity,” explains how Nietzsche can call Christianity both a remedy for nihilism and an expression of it: Christianity was not nihilistic at first, but became so once a force it cultivated undermined its ability to confer meaning.
Work on this area:
2025
"Nietzschean Nihilism in Context: The Puzzle with Christianity," The Journal of Nietzsche Studies, 56(2),193-215.
In-progress
"Ressentiment as a Pathological Form of Understanding"