What were your favorite philosophy courses at UCLA?

Aristotle, Philosophy of Language

Do you have a good story or two about the department?

I took a Philosophy of Language class with David Kaplan and we spent the entire quarter in Bertrand Russell’s essay “On Denoting.” I was fascinated with some of the issues that came up… so fascinated that I barely paid attention to what I was supposed to be learning from the course. I barely squeaked by, but the lessons I learned by spacing-out in class have shaped the way I understand how we communicate meaning.

Are there any philosophical issues, readings, or topics that have stayed with you since graduation?

Metaphysics, religion, and ethics.

Have you read any philosophy recently that you would recommend?

I started reading Alvin Plantinga a few years ago and I love the way he works through issues with humility. I keep up-to-date on stuff he writes. I’d recommend reading his modification to the ontological argument using modal logic. I started reading Kierkegaard recently and I read Keith DeRose sometimes.

What was your first job or endeavor after UCLA?

I was the office manager for a doctor’s office… for about 4 months.