Teaching
 I teach courses across several fields of philosophy, including ethics, the history of philosophy, and logic. I also teach regularly in the Search for Values program. My classes reflect those things that drew me towards philosophy as an undergrad: the emphasis on learning skills for critical evaluation of arguments and ideas from any discipline. I have taught classes that focused on the intersection of ethics and the sciences ("Moral Psychology") and on the Philosophy of Economics. In addition, in my classes I try to include sources and ideas that do not come from traditional philosophy. For example, in my 101 Seminar on Happiness and the Good Life we will read books written by psychologists and economists alongside more traditional philosophers.
 
Research
 My PhD is from Duke University. My dissertation was on the role of sympathy and empathy in moral judgment, with special attention paid to the ideas of 18th Century thinkers David Hume and Adam Smith and recent neuroscience. I argued that empathy (or sympathy, I don′t think there can be a sharp distinction) understood as a form of understanding of other people′s mental states is necessary for moral judgment; but I rejected the idea that even the most sophisticated forms of empathy, such as emotional simulation, is sufficient to make a good moral judgment. Instead, we need to take a page from Smith and Hume who offer ways to correct for the biases in empathetic reactions. In recent years, I have further tried to develop the ideas of Smith and Hume to make them a palatable alternative to other moral theories. I have also developed an interest in the Chinese philosophical tradition, which has some interesting parallels to the Hume and Smith ideas on morality. And my work with Smith has interested me in contemporary discussions in business ethics, since I think they often lack an appreciation for how much of a moral philosopher the so-called "Father of Capitalism" was.
 
Beyond Rhodes
Fortunately for me, I have found a job that expresses my passion: thinking about and talking about our ideas concerning human nature and the good life. But this means there is little time when I′m not in "professor mode" or "philosopher mode." Still, when I need a break from Immanuel Kant′s "Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals" I like to read comic books and enjoy other pop culture products. Even then, I′m still in the philosophy zone. I have published essays on my musings in books on philosophy and popular culture such as "The Family Guy and Philosophy," "The Office and Philosophy," "Watchmen and Philosophy," and "X-Men and Philosophy." In the coming months my essays in "Supervillains and Philosophy," "Heroes and Philosophy," "Twilight and Philosophy," "The Onion and Philosophy," "Iron Man and Philosophy," "Anime and Philosophy," and "Manga and Philosophy" will see print. Maybe I need to get out more, but I don′t really think anyone can (or should) escape philosophy in their everyday life.