James Brown-Kinsella is a scholar of ancient philosophy, specializing in that of China and competent in that of Greece. His dissertation research examines Eastern Han 東漢(25-220 AD) philosopher Wang Chong’s 王充 (c. 27-97 AD) response to the misconceptions and misinformation that inundated Wang’s intellectual world. By exploring the epistemic problem Wang faced, his motivation and methods for dealing with it, and the positive views that underlie Wang’s largely negative project, James hopes to showcase the philosophical promise of this understudied period of Chinese intellectual history.
James also maintains a research interest in ancient Greek philosophy and comparative philosophy, with ongoing projects on weakness of will in Epictetus, epistemic skepticism in Greece and China, and moral cultivation in the same. In modern philosophy, he dabbles in metaphysical explanation.
Before coming to Yale in 2021, James earned an A.B. in Philosophy from Princeton University, an MPhil in China Studies (Religion & Philosophy) from Peking University, and an MPhil in Asian & Middle Eastern Studies (Pre-modern China) from the University of Cambridge.
When his nose is not in some ancient book, James enjoys running, cycling, baseball, houseplants, and music.