User:BxlEditor/Brad Cokelet

Brad Cokelet

Bradford Cokelet is an American philosopher specializing in normative ethics, moral psychology, and cross-cultural philosophy.

Biography

Born in Montana and raised in upstate New York, Cokelet pursued undergraduate studies in mathematics and religious studies at Washington University in St. Louis. After a period as a social worker, he earned an M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and completed his Ph.D. at Northwestern University under the supervision of Richard Kraut.

Academic Career

Cokelet is an Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Kansas. His teaching portfolio includes courses such as Logic, Epistemology, Philosophy of Religion, Chinese Philosophy, Kant, Critical Theory, and Moral Philosophy. He regularly offers classes like Introduction to Ethics, Chinese Thought, Contemporary Ethical Theory, and specialized seminars on various ethical topics.

Research Interests

Cokelet's research encompasses several areas:

• Normative Ethics: Virtue theory, moral psychology, well-being, and reasons.
• Interdisciplinary Work: Methodology of virtue science, studies on trait fairness, and the impact of ethics classes on student behavior.
• Historical Studies: Confucianism, Buddhism, and Stoicism.

Selected Publications

• The Science of Virtue: A Framework for Research (Cambridge University Press, 2024), co-authored with Blaine Fowers and Nathan Leonhardt
• Moral Psychology of Guilt (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019), co-edited with Corey Maley
• "Do Ethics Classes Influence Student Behavior? Case Study: Teaching the Ethics of Eating Meat," co-authored with Eric Schwitzgebel and Peter Singer, published in Cognition (2020)
• "Confucianism, Buddhism, and Virtue Ethics," published in the European Journal for the Philosophy of Religion (2016)
• "Competitive Virtue Ethics and Narrow Morality," forthcoming in Philosophical Studies (2023)
• "Normative Skepticism about Attributive Human Goodness," invited commentary in Australasian Philosophical Review (2023)
• "The Virtues of Compassion," in The Moral Psychology of Compassion (2018)
• "Dispositions, Character, and the Value of Acts," in Character: New Directions from Philosophy, Psychology, and Theology (2015)
• "Virtue Ethics and the Demands of Social Morality," in Oxford Studies in Normative Ethics (2014)
• "Two-Level Eudaimonism and Second-Personal Reasons," in Ethics (2012)
• "Ideal Agency and the Possibility of Error," in Ethics (2008)

Recognition and Impact

Cokelet's work has been influential in bridging Western and Eastern ethical traditions. His interdisciplinary approach has contributed significantly to the emerging science of virtue, and his studies on the impact of ethics education have been widely cited. Notably, his article "Competitive Virtue Ethics and Narrow Morality" was selected for inclusion in the prestigious Philosopher's Annual, highlighting its significance in contemporary philosophical discourse.

Professional Engagements

Cokelet actively participates in philosophical communities. He contributes to the PEA Soup blog, engaging in discussions on cross-cultural philosophy and moral psychology. He has also appeared on podcasts such as Ethics of the East and West and Ethics of the East Part 2 with Amber Cazzell, where he explores comparisons between Eastern and Western ethical traditions.

Citations and Academic Influence

Cokelet has authored 29 scholarly works, with an estimated 228 citations and a predicted h-index of 5, reflecting his academic influence in philosophy, especially within normative ethics and moral psychology.

Intellectual Lineage and Collaborations

Cokelet completed his Ph.D. under Richard Kraut at Northwestern University, placing him in a prominent lineage of ethicists. His collaborative work with scholars such as Eric Schwitzgebel and Peter Singer demonstrates his engagement with empirical and interdisciplinary approaches to ethical theory.

Personal Life

In addition to his academic pursuits, Cokelet has contributed to public conversations on ethics through podcasts and cultural dialogues, reflecting his broader commitment to bridging academic and public philosophy.