معرفی
JP Messina is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Purdue University, where he teaches courses in moral, political, and data-science ethics and the history of practical philosophy. He also contributes to Purdue’s Cornerstone Program. After earning his PhD from UC San Diego in 2018 and holding research posts at the University of New Orleans and Wellesley College, he joined Purdue’s faculty, advancing from Assistant to Associate Professor in 2024.
Education
- PhD (2018), Philosophy – University of California, San Diego
Dissertation: Political Obligations and Provisional Rights: A Study in Kant’s Politics of Freedom (Chancellor’s Dissertation Medal) - MA (2013), Philosophy – Georgia State University
- BA (2011), Philosophy – Wagner College
Research Focus
Messina’s scholarship centers on philosophical conceptions of human freedom. He investigates whether humans are free in the sense required for desert-based responsibility and retributive institutions, the grounds and limits of political authority, the justification of property rights, and the nature and value of free speech. His work combines contemporary analysis with deep engagement with Immanuel Kant’s practical philosophy.
Publications & Thought Leadership
His 2023 monograph Private Censorship (Oxford University Press) offers a sustained examination of non-state restrictions on expression by private actors such as corporations and social-media platforms. Articles in venues like Philosophers’ Imprint, Kantian Review, and the British Journal for the History of Philosophy advance novel interpretations of Kant’s legal and political thought while addressing current debates on free speech, migration ethics, distributive justice, and moral responsibility.
Awards & Honors
- Chancellor’s Dissertation Medal – University of California, San Diego
Teaching & Advising
Messina teaches undergraduate and graduate courses ranging from Kant to applied ethics and the philosophy of data science. While no specific advisees are listed in the provided materials, he is active in mentoring students within Purdue’s philosophy program and frequently presents his work at major international conferences, fostering dialogue with scholars worldwide.
Current Projects & Future Directions
Building on Private Censorship, he continues to explore how private governance mechanisms intersect with rights to free expression and association. Upcoming work includes articles on Kantian political freedom, the ethics of platform moderation, and the implications of desert-based moral responsibility in pluralistic societies.
