Scott Casleton

I am a PhD student in philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley.  I work in political philosophy, ethics, and the history of philosophy. I also write and conduct interviews for non-academic publications. Scroll down to find information about my academic work and links to my public writing.



Academic

I am currently writing a dissertation on freedom of expression, focusing on freedom of speech and the internet. In the past, the right to free expression mostly protected individuals from the state. I ask what protections individuals should have from content moderation on social media platforms, and, in addition, what protections platforms and search engines should have against state regulation. 

I also have a side project focusing on the history of modern moral philosophy. Philosophy changed drastically in the early modern period, and I am generally curious about this change. My research focuses on the specific question of how moral inquiry changed in this time period and how it helped produce contemporary moral philosophy.



Public Writing

Boston Review:

Interview with Alex Vitale on policing in the United States

Interview with Noam Chomsky on contemporary US politics

Article on the US torture legacy and CIA Director Gina Haspel


Jacobin:

Interview with Samuel Moyn on US foreign policy


Vox:

Explainer on Citizens United and campaign finance in the US


Marginalia:

Review of poet Christian Wiman's memoir "He Held Radical Light"


Common Dreams:

Editorial supporting Bernie Sanders's 2020 primary campaign, focusing on his stance on trade