Radheesh Ameresekere is a Ph.D. student at McGill University and a Masters candidate at Harvard Medical School. His interests are in moral and political philosophy, especially distributive justice. He currently resides in Montréal, Quebec.
What excites you about philosophy?
Something that really excites me about philosophy is how much more welcoming of optimists it is compared to other disciplines. At least with moral and political philosophy, you’re encouraged to think about how the world ought to be in ways unencumbered by the (often dreary) ways it actually is. If anything, you almost have to be an optimist. You can’t let how unjust societies are, for example, deter you from trying to sketch a just one. And in my experience, having that sort of faith is usually rewarded! That’s rare since so many academic disciplines almost demand realism (or in some cases pessimism) and pay it back in spades. I’ve always been an optimist, so it really excites me to have a place where I can be myself.
What common philosophical dilemma do you think has a clear answer?
The trolley problem! It is unbelievable to me that so many incredibly intelligent and reasonable people genuinely think it’s morally permissible to kill a person to save others. Constraints play a huge role in how I intuitively think about what we are allowed and not allowed to do. And because of that, collapsing the implicit distinction between killing and letting die is something I just can’t wrap my head around. It just seems clear to me that we cannot kill one to save five (but I was very recently told that I’m not quite charitable enough to my utilitarian peers at a conference, so take this with a grain of salt).
What’s your poison? (Favorite drink.)
Gin and tonic! Beyond that it tastes like Sprite for adults, it reminds me of holiday dinners with my cousins. It helps that my dad makes a stellar G&T.
What is your favorite book of all time? Why? To whom would you recommend them?
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. In addition to the fact that Murakami is a very gifted writer with a real knack for pacing his works well, I think Norwegian Wood allowed me to interrogate the parts of my personality I’m less proud of—more than any other book I’ve ever read. A lot of great literature follows a moral exemplar, but I found that Norwegian Wood’s protagonist actually exemplifies many of my own character flaws in an unabashed way. Seeing those flaws in someone else is really valuable for learning how to navigate them and grow as a person. But in this sense, it’s my favorite book for irreducibly ‘personal reasons’ so I’m not sure I can identify anyone in particular that I’d recommend it to, except maybe some of the close friends who I grew up with.
What’s your most treasured memory?
This is a hard one, just because I’m not sure if memories can be ranked in any way that tracks the variety of reasons why we treasure them. I’d say I treasure each memory of having a cup of tea with my mom almost every morning when I lived at home, but I think such answers go against the spirit of the question. So if I had to pick one memory, one from my high school days comes to mind. My then-girlfriend and I decided (God knows why) to visit the Toronto Islands in the middle of February. Since most other people pay attention to the weather app, our only company on the island was the 4 feet of snow. Experiencing a place that is usually warm, sunny, and packed with tourists in the opposite way that we got to was surreal and magical. Such adventures with those we love are some of the best things in life and still, I treasure that memory.
What’s your favorite quote?
From Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians: “Let all that you do be done in love.” (Fun fact: I found out that this quote was on my parent’s wedding invitation only years after it became one of my favorite quotes. I find that to be a beautiful coincidence.)
What’s your top tip or advice for APA members reading this?
Especially to those like me who are very early in their careers, be brave! We all suffer from some degree of imposter syndrome, but I think the best antidote is exposure therapy. Submit to conferences, attend office hours, participate in your seminars, ask friends to read your drafts, and go talk to Christine Korsgaard at the APA. The only way to feel like a philosopher is to do the things that philosophers do. That requires bravery and bravery can be hard to find, but doing so is invaluable for personal and professional development.
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 to nominate yourself or a friend.
Smrutipriya Pattnaik
Smrutipriya Pattnaik, Ph.D. in Social and Political Philosophy from IIT Indore, India serves as the Teaching Beat and Work/Life Balance editor for the APA Blog. Her research delves into utopia, social imagination, and politics, with a focus on the aftermath of socialist experiments on Liberal-Capitalist-Democratic societies. Currently authoring "Politics, Utopia, and Social Imagination."
