Independent Researcher

Thesis Title: Duchamp After Hegel: Exorcizing the End of Art

About

I'm a graduate student in philosophy, studying Hegel's aesthetics, art history, and political philosophy, especially foreign relations. I'm interested in the philosophy of history, microhistory, rhetoric, the history of social sciences, ancient philosophy, sexuality, and political philosophy. My favorite things to read besides Hegel include Merleau-Ponty, Margeurite Duras, Mark Twain, Joseph Margolis, Guido Ruggiero, Bataille, the Marquis De Sade, Lord Byron, Foucault, Flannery O'Connor, Danto, Joseph S. Nye, Jr., Bakhtin, de Beauvoir, Judith Butler, Fukuyama, and Max Weber.

I'm also a cyberactivist involved with Iran, the Middle East, and domestic politics.  With secondary specializations in political philosophy, ethics, and cultural anthropology, I'm very interested in the humanities and social sciences and their application to diplomacy, foreign policy analysis, and the development of international relations.  My studies include cultural diplomacy, interfaith dialogue, soft power, political anthropology, and the issue of cultural relativism as applied to human rights.