My main research interest lies in metaphysics and the use of formal methods in metaphysics. I examine a variety of fundamental metaphysical kinds, including properties, relations, and individuals, that can be clarified using formal tools. My work in this project provides conceptual frameworks for more systematic theorising in analytic metaphysics.

Doctoral Dissertation: The Metaphysics of Properties and Relations

My doctoral dissertation investigates a range of questions in the metaphysics of properties and relations. Chapters 1 to 4 develop stances on central themes in this literature, including Bradley’s regress of relations, the immanence-transcendence debate, the universal-particular distinction, and theories of objects according to which properties are constituents of their bearers. Chapters 5 to 7 introduce a shift to higher-order metaphysics, motivated by the property version of Russell’s paradox. Problems raised in previous chapters are reconsidered, this time from a higher-order perspective. Against existing views, a moderate view is developed of the significance of higher-order logic for metaphysics. Higher-order logic solves some problems in the metaphysics of properties and relations, such as the property paradox, but not all.