Austen McDougal is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Philosophy and Religion who specializes in ethics. The significance of people's motives in particular is a central theme of his research, which is also shaped by an interest in pluralism in ethical theory. Currently, he is working to explain how attitudes and responses like mercy and love can be fitting even in cases where they appear to make no sense. He holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Stanford and an A.B. in Philosophy with a certificate in Computer Science from Princeton.