Education

Ph.D in Philosophy at the University of Utah

Six year, fully funded degree awarded May 2024.

Dissertation: "The Coherence of Locke's Account of Miracles"

Dissertation committee: Lex Newman (chair), Nathan Rockwood, Anne Siebels Peterson, Carlos Gray Santana, Charlie Huenemann

Dissertation abstract: The aim of this dissertation is to defend the coherence of Locke’s concept of miracles and their apologetic function. To this end, I extensively argue against what I take to be misinterpretations of Locke’s concept of miracles and criticisms of his apologetic based on those misinterpretations. In the process, I develop a new interpretation of Locke’s position and defend the coherence of it on that basis. In Chapter 2, I make the case for reading Locke as an objectivist about miracles. In Chapter 3, I argue that we can make better sense of Locke’s objectivism by considering his views on the concept of power and the degrees of probability. In Chapter 4, I argue that the coherence of Locke’s position requires acknowledging the limits Locke places on the scope and efficacy of miracles in his apologetic argument. Taken together, these three chapters develop an objectivist reading of Locke and a defense of the coherence of his position based on that reading. I do not claim to establish the truth or soundness of Locke’s account. However, my analysis, if successful, presents a significant stride toward that end.