I am a fourth-year PhD student in the Classical Studies Graduate Program (CLST). Born in Daejeon, South Korea, I studied at Seoul National University, earning a BA in Economics and Philosophy and an MA in Western Philosophy. I also hold an MA in Classical Studies from Columbia University.
My primary research interest is in ancient philosophy, with a particular focus on Plato’s later thoughts on logic and metaphysics and the historical transition to Aristotle. More specifically, I’m interested in Plato’s ontology and how it accommodates his epistemology. The central notion here is being (ousia), construed as the object of knowledge. This naturally extends to contemporary discussions in logic and metaphysics, including—but not limited to—proof-theoretic semantics, mereology, and ground-theoretic approaches to metaphysics. Recently, my research has expanded to Indian Buddhist philosophy, a tradition distinct from the Greco-Roman one. I’m particularly interested in Dignāga and Dharmakīrti, the two key figures in the Buddhist logico-epistemological tradition, and their theory of apoha, first proposed by Dignāga as a solution to a linguistic issue known to the Sanskrit grammarians as co-reference (sāmānādhikaraṇya), where the all-encompassing term sat (being) plays a central role.
With its rigorous training in both philosophy and classical languages, Columbia's Classical Studies Graduate Program fosters a vibrant community of scholars fascinated by antiquity and classical traditions. I am enjoying many conversations with faculty members and fellow graduate students.