lmpowell@usc.edu
curriculum vitae
Education
- Ph.D. in Philosophy from USC
- May 2011 (Expected)
- Current Status: ABD
- Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Rochester
- May 2005
Dissertation
Belief in Hume's Treatise
Since the publication of David Hume's Treatise of Human Nature philosophers have routinely taken a pessimistic view of one of the central components of its overall project, the account of belief, claiming that Hume's limited explanatory resources prevent him from giving an account that captures the rich complexity exhibited by our mental life. I argue that much of this pessimism is ill-founded, and that proper attention to the details of Hume's views on belief can enrich our understanding of his substantive insights into epistemology and the philosophy of mind.
Research Interests
My primary areas of interest are the history of early modern philosophy (especially David Hume, but also John Locke and Thomas Reid) and contemporary philosophy of language. I also have substantial interest in contemporary epistemology and metaethics.
