Research

Current Book Project

Ethical Democracy

I am currently writing a book in Japanese that explores Jane Addams’s philosophy of “Ethical Democracy” for general audiences. This project examines how Hull-House in Chicago served as an innovative laboratory for democratic experimentation, where Addams developed her social ethics and peace theory.

Key Themes:

• The philosophical foundations of Addams’s social ethics and peace theory
• Hull-House as a model for participatory democracy at the neighborhood level
• The intersection of social reform, immigrant integration, and democratic practice
• Addams’s contribution to pragmatist philosophy and feminist thought

Project Status: Manuscript in development. Expected completion: 2026-2027.

This book aims to make Addams’s democratic philosophy accessible to contemporary readers and demonstrate its relevance to current debates about civic engagement, social reform, and participatory governance.

Research Themes

Jane Addams and Pragmatist Feminism

My research examines Jane Addams’s contributions to pragmatist philosophy and feminist thought. I analyze how Addams developed a distinctive form of feminist pragmatism that emphasized the connection between care, democracy, and social reform. This work situates Addams within the broader context of American pragmatism while highlighting her unique philosophical contributions.

Key Publications:

• “The Intellectual Formation of Jane Addams’s Peace Theory: Spencer, Mazzini, and the Gendered Discourse of War and Peace” (forthcoming)
• “Addams’s Early Peace Thought: Evolutionary Theory and Democracy in Turn-of-the-Century America” (2025)
• “The Relationship between Care and Democracy in the Thought of Jane Addams: Analyzing Democracy and Social Ethics through the Lens of the Feminist Ethic of Care” (invited talk, 2024)

Progressive Era Social Reform

I investigate the intellectual foundations of Progressive Era social reform movements, with particular attention to the settlement house movement and its democratic implications. My research explores how reformers like Addams conceptualized the relationship between social change and democratic practice.

Mary Parker Follett and Democratic Theory

I also work on Mary Parker Follett’s contributions to democratic theory and organizational thought. My research explores the connections between Follett’s work and the broader Progressive Era discourse on democracy and social reform.

Research Methods

My research combines:

• Intellectual history and archival research
• Philosophical analysis of primary texts
• Historical contextualization with attention to gender dynamics
• Feminist theory and pragmatist philosophy

For collaboration inquiries or to discuss research projects, please feel free to contact me.