Research
My research interests include the following:
Metaphysics, particularly theories of causation and modality. In theories of causation I am interested in whether a coherent and plausible account of substance causation can be explicated. This would be an account that avers that the fundamental causes in our world, those things which pull the causal levers themselves, are objects or things (substances), and not events, facts, properties, etc. I am optimistic that a plausible and coherent account of such causation is possible, though that remains to be seen. Regarding modality, I am interested in an Aristotelian account where possibilities are grounded in causal powers. This would dovetail nicely with my former interest in whether substances are causes. This would presumably imply that possibilities are grounded in the causal powers which are possessed by substances.
Free Will, particularly agent-causal theories thereof. I remain convinced of incompatibilism from various Consequence-style arguments (attributable to most notably Perter van Inwagen), and a believer in free will. This places me in the libertarian camp of the current positions on free will. It seems to me that the only plausible account of libertarian free will would be an agent-causal account of free will. Such an account relies on agent causation, which is essentially substance causation but from the agent. Agent causation theories of free will have always been looked at askance, "panicky metaphysics" (Peter Strawson). There has not been a whole lot of work done on agent-causal theories of free will except for Timothy O'Connor's 2000 work on this subject. I hope to fill this lacuna in the future and develop a thoroughgoing account of agent-causal free will.
Philosophical Theology, particularly Freedom and Foreknowledge. Given that we have free will, is it possible for anyone, even God, to know our future free actions? I am particularly interested in the answer to this question and I am inclined to answer it in the negative: No it is not possible for anyone to know our future free actions, because there is know fact of the matter to know. This is because I am inclined to endorse the following conditional: if some future proposition is true, then whatever that propositions is about is determined to happen. Of course, if this conditional is true, this raises all sorts of questions regarding the nature of time, a theory of truth, future contingent propositions, and the like all of which I am interested in pursuing. Furthermore, if that conditional is true, then that would entail, given that we have free will, that even God does not know the future perfectly. This then would raise questions about God's providence and His action with the world. These are further questions in which I am interested in researching.