My research

I am an empirically-oriented philosopher and social scientist undertaking interdisciplinary research at the intersection of moral and legal philosophy, moral psychology, and cognitive and evolutionary sciences.

Research areas

Cognition and Culture

I am interested in the cognitive underpinnings and evolutionary origins of the fundamental components of culture, such as particular religious, philosophical, and legal ideas. My research has been driven by questions like: Why have moralizing religions, connecting ideas of supernatural agents with moral standards, been so widespread and culturally successful from antiquity until today? Why are certain forms of teleological thinking (e.g., theodicies) so ancient and cross-culturally recurrent? Which cognitive and ecological factors contribute to the appealing character of legal ideals such as the Rule of Law?

You can check some of my research on this topic here, here, and here.

Experimental Jurisprudence

I am interested in the methodological foundations and theoretical justification of applying empirical research methods to questions in legal philosophy and legal theory.

I am especially interested in how empirical research methods can inform fundamental questions in legal philosophy, such as the relationship between morality and law.

You can check some of my research on this topic here, here, and here.

Experimental Philosophy of Moral and Legal Concepts

I also examine the psychological underpinnings of particular morally- and legally relevant concepts, such as responsibility, blame, punishment, permissibility, causation, or intentionality. What factors influence these judgments? Do people’s criteria align with philosophical and legal standards? What is the role of legal expertise in ordinary moral cognition? What are the implications of discrepancies between ordinary moral intuitions and philosophical and legal standards?

You can check some of my research on this topic here, here, here, and here.