About Me

I am a second-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Philosophy at Northwestern University. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Creighton University in Omaha, NE.

I specalize in epistemology (including traditional and social), especially topics in epistemic normativity, agency, and responsibility. In particular, I am concerned with how certain ‘environments’ that we inhabit have affordances that not only fail to enable us to get at the truth but even dispose us to form false beliefs. I also have serious interests in social philosophy, especially related to the ontology of institutions and groups, group agency, and group responsibility. In addressing these questions, I prioritizing leveraging insights from contemporary research in cognitive science, social psychology, and sociology.

Beyond these domains, I also have additional interest in the history of analytic philosophy, especially related to the later works of Ludwig Wittgenstein and his remarks about the role of intention in meaning.

Outside the academy, I enjoy computer programming, abstract algebra, watching TV sitcoms and superhero movies, reading literary fiction, and trying new food. I also try to write public philosophy essays from time to time, published on my Medium page.

You can contact me at MaddoxLarson (at) u (dot) northwestern (dot) edu.