Ben works on medical ethics, especially end-of-life ethics. “Sometimes I do this with my legal hat on, sometimes with my philosopher’s hat, optimally with both,” he says. Ben is specifically interested in what it means to “die well.” This involves exploring various issues such as how to define death, how to provide support for grieving loved ones, and the ethics of medically hastening death. “I like to think of this as building a philosophy of palliative care,” Ben says, “since that is the branch of medicine with the most expertise and contact with dying persons.”
Ben is currently busy thinking about how we can best support individuals who are experiencing grief for lost loved ones. He notes that the Ancient Greeks were very interested in consolations for mortality, but interest in how we can and should console grieving individuals has since waned. “I want to revive our collective interest in supporting grieving individuals,” Ben says, “through what are often some of the toughest moments of their lives.”
You can learn more about Ben's research on his personal website and his Scholars@Duke profile.
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Department of Philosophy