I'm a Lecturer in Philosophy at Cardiff University, a Trustee of the British Society of Aesthetics, a co-founder and former organiser of the Scottish Aesthetics Forum, and a co-founder and co-director of the newly formed Aesthetics & Ethics Research Group.
I've published articles on beauty, including the notion of moral beauty, the ethical criticism of art, the concept of ugliness, and the situationist debate in moral psychology. I am currently pursuing three interrelated research programmes in aesthetics, ethics, and the relationship between them. More specifically, I'm developing a dual-component theory of beauty, and critically examining naturalistic accounts of ethical and aesthetic value, in the hopes of articulating a naturalistic theory of value wherein beauty plays a central role. I also have interests in the Philosophy of Film, and my latest side project looks at serialised cinematic works featuring immoral characters, examining how these prompt reflection on important moral questions, and help develop our understanding of character, in a peculiarly televisual way.
I also teach, and enjoy teaching, philosophy, and am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Currently, I'm teaching 'Aesthetics', 'Philosophy through Fiction and Film', 'Beauty and Ethics', 'Critical Thinking', at undergraduate level, and an MA module, 'Beauty, Art, & Value', at Cardiff University.
Besides philosophy, I'm very interested in film. I hold an MA in Filmmaking from Goldsmiths, specialising in cinematography, and have been involved in the production of several short films. I also enjoy taking photographs, and have, in the past, made some attempts at video art and screenwriting.