I did my PhD at the London School of Economics under the supervision of Professor Brian Barry. I have taught in the UK (Manchester), US (Yale; Colorado, Boulder; Dartmouth), and Ireland (University College Dublin; University College Cork). My main area of research is political philosophy, specifically on questions of social justice; the ethics of violence; the philosophy of human rights; and the political theory of Cicero. I have published eight books so far, and my work has been translated in Chinese, Spanish, Polish, Slovenian and Italian. I have written opinion pieces for a number of newspapers and media outlets, including The Irish Times, The Irish Examiner, The Guardian, The Business Post, and RTE Brainstorm.

My main research interests are in contemporary political philosophy, especially theories of social justice; human rights; political violence; and the idea of injustice. I've also published on Cicero; post-truth; applied philosophy; rational choice theory; democratic theory; socialism; liberalism; Hannah Arendt; Jane Austen; just war theory; and Italian politics. While the nature of my work is strictly philosophical, I believe philosophy should be applicable and relevant to non-philosophers. In my work I have tried to bridge the gap between moral and political philosophy and other disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. I have also tried to make my work accessible to non-specialists by publishing opinion pieces in The Guardian, The Irish Times, Irish Examiner, Business Post and RTE Brainstorm. My most recent book is Why Cicero Matters (Bloomsbury 2023).

My teaching interests cover a range of areas in the history of philosophy; political philosophy; ethics. Most of my teaching is on the the following topics: Theories of social justice; human rights; political violence; Cicero; applied philosophy. However, in the 25 years I have been at UCC I have also taught modules on: Introduction to Politics; Feminist philosophy; Italian Politics; Democratic Theory. List of modules taught in the last 5 years: PH1001: Introduction to Philosophy PH2004: Introduction to Political Philosophy PH2018: Violence and War PH2035: Roman Political Thought - Cicero PH3025: Political Philosophy in Theory and Practice PH6012: Human Rights and Philosophy PH3002/3031: Research Essay in Philosophy PH0090: Personal Development and Review PH7001: Doctoral Research Seminar I have also contributed to the following University Wide Courses: UW0008: Value of the University and Academic Freedom (2022).