Hello!
Okay, I’m not trying to be rude, but this site is really more for me than it is for you. That might be blunt, but I just want to set realistic expectations.
Hello, I’m a software developer with a gold medal in overthinking things. I realized pretty early on in my life that my “inner voice,” whatever that is, is really really loud, persistent, distracting, and downright annoying at times. Despite my frustrations with it, for better or for worse, it’s a big part of who I am. It’s so big, in fact, I think it’s a major reason my first professional foray was into philosophy. I love philosophy. I discovered it as an undergraduate student in a required Philosophy 101 course. Attending that class is probably the closest thing I’ve ever had to a religious experience. It was taught by a professor who had the most profound impact on my life and who, in many ways, became something of a role model of mine. This class happened at such a pivotal time in my life, right after losing my father and moving from California to Chicago. Those changes, taken together, ended up being a catalyst for me reevaluating who I was and wanted to become as a person.
This incessant thinking and love of philosophy means I have a plethora of very strong opinions about numerous subjects, most of which I know next to nothing about. I’m sure the vast majority of my musings are total rubbish. But, the simple fact that I have so many musings means that every so often, I think I come across an idea that’s not half-bad. Those handful of not half-bad ideas that I’ve stumbled into throughout my three and a half decades on this planet are why I’m making this site.
I want a place to express, refine, and hopefully someday share these thoughts. I’ll do what I can to spare you as much of the nonsense as I’m able, but no promises. Something is bound to slip by.
Well, I tend to think about a lot of topics, some more random than others. Over time I’ve found there are some subjects I keep coming back to.
One of my deepest philosophical interests is phenomenology, which I encountered near the end of my undergraduate program. If you’re unfamiliar, phenomenology is a field developed by the German philosopher Edmund Husserl and expanded by his student Martin Heidegger, and others including Maurice Merleau-Ponty. It’s difficult to do phenomenology justice in such a brief post, but traditionally it’s described as a science of how things appear to consciousness. Most philosophy places primacy on the world independent of our experience of it, but phenomenology starts by examining the structure of experience and consciousness and builds from there. I’ve found the phenomenological framework an invaluable lens through which I often perceive the world.
Anarchy is a new but powerful interest in my life. My intellectual hero is about to publish his latest book on anarchy, and I was lucky enough to get an advance copy. Since reading it, I’ve become obsessed with anarchy, states, institutions, voting, and related themes. Just a year ago, I didn’t take anarchy seriously as a political philosophy, primarily because I had never really engaged with it. Only a year ago, I could have been described as a run of the mill anti-market socialist, captivated by an approach called half-earth socialism. However, I’ve recently become critical of the idea that any state or global institution is justified in existing and controlling our lives. I used to see markets as the primary political antagonist; when markets are the enemy, it’s only natural to embrace a strong state in the name of balancing power. But recently, I’m starting to doubt the state’s usefulness, even in this regard. You could say I’m becoming anarchically curious.
In contrast to my recent interest in anarchy, my engagement with animal ethics goes back much further. I’ve always had an emotional connection with non-humans, perhaps because language, while enabling connection and communication, just as much can deceive and exploit. I feel that in a way, language can hinder connecting with someone, and animals’ “lack” of it makes me feel more connected to them than to other humans. Additionally, I love the diversity of non-human life and am constantly amazed by nature’s variety. This connection, admiration, and love lead me to experience a unique moral pain when non-humans suffer injustice or cruelty. This developed into my commitment to political veganism and animal rights.
My interest in new urbanism is largely aesthetic. The urban lifestyle, defined by living closely with others, being enmeshed amongst cultural institutions, all within a vibrant city, is far more attractive to me than the suburban way of life that really dominates American culture, politics, and economics. I am deeply interested in the history and mechanics of cities as complex systems. They are fascinating and their dynamics really appeal to my engineering side, as I imagine how the myriad parts fit together and how they can be modified to improve or worsen life for city-dwellers.
John Mearsheimer’s book The Tragedy of Great Power Politics captures the mechanics of how large nation-states interact in the modern world. I was floored by Mearsheimer’s theory of offensive realism and have a lot to say on its relationship with ethical frameworks and moral decision making. This is one topic I’m particularly exited to write about soon. In the meantime, if you want to understand not just what but why states do the things they do, then you can’t do better than offensive realism.
I’m proud to work as a software engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. I joined JPL because they are at the intersection of advancements in information technology, aerospace, and scientific exploration—fields that have fascinated me for much of my life. I have always been drawn to computers and technology. My father’s passion for aviation and my time spent at Sarah’s Science Camp in the redwood forests of Northern California cultivated a deep love of engineering and natural science. These experiences led me to pursue a career at JPL. Current events surrounding the commercialization of space also bring together my political and scientific interests, prompting many thoughts of mine about the direction and development space exploration is headed.
My profession is software engineering, and I have many opinions about programming and development. My background in the humanities offers a unique perspective on this field. I’ve learned valuable lessons transitioning from academic philosophy to professional software engineering and want to share these lessons with others making similar transitions. I am passionate about encouraging people from diverse backgrounds, both demographically and academically, to consider careers in technology. More diverse perspectives will only benefit the field, especially as we grapple with the moral, political, and human impacts of transformative technologies like the internet, social media, and AI.
Enjoy!
Despite my earlier bluntness, I hope you do find something useful, interesting, or meaningful on my site. Please share your thoughts on everything, from the layout and design to the prose and topics I cover. This is a new endeavor for me, and I will undoubtedly stumble quite a bit before finding my footing. Hopefully you’ll join me for the ride. I’m glad you’re here!