Research
Levi Tenen
I am Assistant Professor of Philosophy in the Department of Liberal Studies at Kettering University. I received my PhD in 2020 from Indiana University, Bloomington under Marcia Baron. My primary research lies at the intersection of ethics (esp. value theory), environmental philosophy, and aesthetics. I also have interests in social and political philosophy and the philosophy of technology.
In value theory, I am providing an account of how two fundamental forms of valuing differ from each other: valuing x for its own sake and valuing x for the sake of other things. I then build on this to refine a methodology used to explore the value of a wide range of things, including heirlooms, artworks, heritage sites, natural entities, non-human animals, and character traits constitutive of a good life.
In environmental philosophy, I am currently developing an originalist argument for expansive uses of the Antiquities Act and a philosophical analysis, more generally, of the "national monument" designation. Also under development is an argument that Congress should reconsider what is required to preserve wilderness in the 21st Century given new communications technologies that threaten "outstanding opportunities for solitude" protected under The Wilderness Act (an op-ed I wrote can be found here).