lmpowell@usc.edu
curriculum vitae
Professional Information
- Graduate Student in the USC, Dept. of Philosophy
- ABD (as of 03/30/09)
- Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Rochester, May 2005
Dissertation (in progress)
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 is structurally adequate.
I argue that much of this pessimism arises from a long standing, mistaken interpretation of Hume's account of dissent, and offer a contrasting interpretation on which his account of belief and dissent possesses the versatility required to meet these structural challenges.
I develop many of the implicationof this interpretatation that arise from Hume's extensive use of the account of belief throughout the Treatise, particularly with respect to his account of probable reasoning. Further, by examining Hume's successes, I show how we can enrich our understanding of what is at stake in a variety of contemporary debates about the workings of mind and language.
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 metaethics, and various issues in metaphysics and epistemology (broadly construed).
Papers in Progress
