Erik Dempsey

Erik Dempsey serves as Associate Professor of Instruction and Assistant Director of the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Study of Core Texts and Ideas within the College of Liberal Arts at The University of Texas at Austin. He teaches cross-listed courses across Government, Religious Studies, Core Texts and Ideas, and Liberal Arts Honors programs, focusing on foundational texts in Western political and religious thought.

Education:

• PhD in Philosophy, Boston College (2007)
• Bachelor's degree, St. John's College, Annapolis, MD

Dempsey's research centers on human virtue's relationship to politics across historical contexts, with primary focus on Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics (particularly prudence as a virtue), Thomas Aquinas' natural law theory, and Marsilius of Padua's political critique. His current book project expands his dissertation to bridge ancient and medieval interpretations of virtue ethics within political frameworks.

Scientific Awards: No scientific awards were mentioned in the source material.

Advising and Grants: The source text contains no information about graduate students, postdoctoral advisees, or research grant funding.

Labs and Teams: As Assistant Director of the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Study of Core Texts and Ideas, Dempsey supports interdisciplinary exploration of canonical texts through curriculum development and academic programming within UT Austin's College of Liberal Arts.