Isabel Canfield is a Ph.D. student at the University of Notre Dame. Her central interests are in ethics, moral philosophy, and action theory. Isabel is also involved in medical ethics research at Baylor College of Medicine’s Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy. When she’s not reading or writing, you can find Isabel entertaining her dog Benji.
What are you working on right now?
Right now, I’m having a lot of fun thinking about the ethics of healthcare. I’m in the process of developing a broad framework that identifies various and sometimes competing organizational and role-based obligations that can impact medical treatment. I’m borrowing from W.D Ross’s doctrine of prima facie duties and spending lots of time trying to figure out the structure of obligations. This is a neat project because I get to spend a lot of time thinking about normative ethics, but I also get to work through applied implications.
Separately, I’m working on a project that considers medical researchers’ relationships, and in turn, their obligations to the parents of pediatric research participants. I’m particularly concerned with how researchers should act in the event of a pediatric participant’s death. There are limited resources to help researchers navigate how to continue this research relationship appropriately, and I’m hoping to help fill that gap.
Name a trait, skill or characteristic that you have that others may not know about.
I play the harp! Although I don’t play the harp particularly well, I did take lessons growing up and occasionally dust it off when the mood strikes.
What is your favorite book of all time? Why? To whom would you recommend it?
I wish I got a commission for each person that I have convinced to read Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe. I love books written by journalists. I find that the stories told are usually engaging but also concise and accessible. Keefe is no exception, and his book offers a gripping and insightful history of The Troubles in Northern Ireland. Every time I convince another friend, family member, or co-worker to pick up this book, we inevitably have discussions about the ethics of war, of terrorism, and of incarceration. Keefe does a fantastic job highlighting the stakes of these questions and the difficulty in painting human conflicts as black and white.
What are you reading right now? Would you recommend it?
I’m inadvisably reading about ten books right now. But I’m enjoying working my way through Alvin I. Goldman’s A Theory of Human Action, which was one of the first books Robert Audi suggested I read to prepare for graduate school. While I didn’t finish it by the time I started school, I’m finding it incredibly useful in my thinking about action theory (and that has reinforced my belief that I should always listen to Robert).
What time of day are you most productive and creative?
I love writing late at night. When it’s late, and no one is around, I feel very free in getting words on the page and exploring any ideas that pop up. Though, I do like to edit in the morning, along with a clear mind and a cup of coffee (or two). My roommate thinks this process is absurd, but I think of it as a slightly more sustainable version of “Write drunk. Edit sober.”
Who is your favorite philosopher and why?
I love reading Susan Wolf’s work. Her writing is accessible and playful. I hope that I can someday emulate her sense of whimsy and clarity in my work. Plus, she sent me this recipe for chocolate cake when I emailed her a question– which I highly recommend to any baking philosophers out there.
What’s your favorite quote?
I love this quote from Heidegger: “Every man is born as many men and dies as a single one.” Besides the exclusion of women and my complicated feelings about engaging with a philosopher who held problematic views (see a good discussion on this here), there is something very appealing in this idea.
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.
