The Department of Philosophy congratulates Erich Jones, who successfully defended his dissertation in April and will soon receive his Ph.D. in Philosophy from The Ohio State University.

Erich Jones has defended his dissertation, "Towards A Social Moral Epistemology." His advisor was Dr. Tristram McPherson.

Moral epistemology, as it is usually conducted, is an individualist affair, where one is supposed to come to moral truths by their own devices. I aim to challenge this picture by introducing new kinds of evidence about how moral methodology is conducted among lay people, and discuss how this impacts our thinking about moral inquiry. Moral inquiry as conducted by the folk, I argue, is largely a social enterprise. 

 The department celebrates Erich's achievement and wishes him continued success in his future endeavors..