Anthony Nguyen is a third year PhD student at the University of Southern California. He received his Bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Reed College. He transferred there after a couple years at Florida State University. He mainly works in philosophy of language and metaphysics, though he has interests in other areas of philosophy as well (e.g. normative ethics, social philosophy, and political philosophy).
What excites you about philosophy?
Philosophy is a very broad discipline — not only are there many different topics a philosopher can think about, different topics are often connected. This is exciting because there is a lot of terrain just wide open for philosophers to explore.
But perhaps what is most exciting about philosophy to me is the opportunity to do philosophy with others. Philosophy is most fun, in my opinion, when viewed as a social enterprise. I’d say that most of my best philosophical experiences have involved doing philosophy with others.
What are you most proud of in your professional life?
My proudest academic achievement has been seeing a paper based on my undergraduate thesis in print. I have spent a lot of time thinking about the topic (often with my inimitable undergraduate advisor, Troy Cross) and it was really rewarding to see the culmination of that long-term project. That said, my thinking on that topic continues to evolve. I’m currently coauthoring a paper with another graduate student in which we raise some problems for my original account.
What are you working on right now?
The topics I’m working on right now include the semantics of generics and habituals, the metaphysics of habits, quantification over nonexistent objects, free will and moral responsibility, Hume on denial, and Thrasymachus’ role in the Republic. I’m also reading a lot of feminist philosophy and political philosophy right now.
What is your favorite book of all time? (Or top 3). Why? To whom would you recommend them?
The only book that’s ever made me cry is Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov. Something that really resonated with me is the contrast between the entrenched atheism of Ivan and the religious faith of Alyosha. I was raised Catholic, and the (im)plausibility of the existence of God often dominated my thoughts as I was growing up. When I was younger, I was torn between the visions of Ivan and Alyosha.
I’d recommend that book to anyone, but I think philosophers would especially enjoy it. I haven’t read it in years, but I hope to return to it one day.
Which books have changed your life? In what ways?
Reading J.L. Mackie’s Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrongis probably what led me to want to become a philosopher. Even though I am now skeptical of Mackie’s arguments for error theory, my 18-year-old self was impressed by philosophy’s ability to, by reasoned arguments, lead to surprising conclusions. Understandably, this was more interesting to me than multivariable calculus and probability distributions. (When I was first beginning my undergraduate studies, I thought I would become an actuary. I think I’ll miss the money, but I don’t think I’ll miss the work.)
You’re stuck on a desert island and you can only have one recreational activity. What is it?
Reading—both fiction and philosophy. (Not that they’re mutually exclusive).
What is your least favorite type of fruit and why?
Durian. I find it unappetizing, to say the least. I understand why it’s banned on public transportation in some Asian countries. Apparently, last year, one durian caused hundreds of people to evacuate a university in Australia because its smell was mistaken for that of a gas leak. (To be fair, it was rotting.)
What technology do you wish the human race could discover/create/invent right now?
Cheap, safe, lab-grown meat and a cure for cancer come to mind. But I’m not sure.
What advice do you wish someone had given you?
I wish I had read a lot more growing up, but, unfortunately, I don’t think I would have listened to any advice along the lines of “You should read more.” So, since it would have been very ineffective, I suppose that’s not the advice I wish someone would have given me. But maybe something along the lines of “You don’t need to feel guilty if you disagree strongly with people close to you” would have been effective and beneficial advice for my younger self. So I guess that this is the advice that I wish someone had given me. I think high school would have been a good time to hear this.
This section of the APA Blog is designed to get to know our fellow philosophers a little better. We’re including profiles of APA members that spotlight what captures their interest not only inside the office, but also outside of it. We’d love for you to be a part of it, so please contact us via the interview nomination form here to nominate yourself or a friend.
Dr. Sabrina D. MisirHiralall is an editor at the Blog of the APA who currently teaches philosophy, religion, and education courses solely online for Montclair State University, Three Rivers Community College, and St. John’s University.
