I work in normative ethics and bioethics, particularly in a Kantian vein. My research involves Kant interpretation when it is relevant to philosophical positions I’m investigating.
I’ve constructed and continue to develop Kantian accounts of the dignity of persons and of what it means to treat others merely as means. I’m interested in what respect for (the worth of) persons demands.
Some of my work in bioethics involves application of accounts of human dignity. I’ve addressed whether markets in organs (e.g., kidneys) are a good idea. (I don’t think they are.) Recently I’ve been focusing on end-of-life issues, such as whether it’s morally permissible for a person to have an advance directive specifying that if they become severely demented, they are to be given a lethal dose of medication. I’ve also been thinking more about questions concerning the just allocation of scarce, life-saving resources, such as ventilators and vaccines.
A member of a hospital ethics committee, I believe that philosophy can help find solutions to ethical problems that arise in patient care.