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Alexander Vega’s research focuses on ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, with an emphasis on philosophy of friendship. He is especially interested in the relationship between friendship and belief in the work of the early Christian philosopher Augustine of Hippo. In such works as On the Usefulness of Belief and On Faith in Invisible Things, Augustine offers a fascinating account of what we ought to believe about our friends and, more generally, of how our relationships are defined by their underlying beliefs. Professor Vega argues that, in Augustine’s view, when deciding how much evidence to require before believing in the goodwill of our friends, we should take into account the ethical consequences of a failure to believe. He also argues that, for Augustine, our belief in another person’s goodwill must be informed by our belief about what is good for us, with true friendship depending on a true belief about the good. He is particularly excited about Augustine’s approach to these issues because it is relevant to our daily lives and because it can inform current debates about the ethics of belief. He also has research interests in Cicero and in modern philosophy of language.

 

Professor Vega first became excited about philosophy while studying works by the ancient philosophers Plato, Cicero, and Seneca in college. He appreciated the idea of philosophy as a way of life, as something that allows us to grow in wisdom and become better as human beings by reflecting on fundamental questions. He is very excited to explore texts and ideas with students at ΢���ƽ�.