Last Updated March 2026
Contact: zli289@uwo.ca
Academic appointments
2022-present - Assistant Professor, Huron University at Western University.
2026-2027 - Summer Fellow in Residence, The Centre for Hellenic Studies, Harvard University.
Area of Specialization
Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy.
Area of Competence
Contemporary and History of Political Philosophy, Contemporary and History of Ethics, Feminist Philosophy.
Education
2023 - Ph.D. in Philosophy, Western University
2019– Visting Student, Lewis & Clark College
2015 - M.A. in Ancient Philosophy, Western University
2013 - B.A. with Honours in Philosophy, McMaster University
Dissertation
Title: “Craft and Virtue in Plato’s Early Dialogues”.
Supervisor: Devin Henry
Examiners: Georgia Mouroutsou, Dennis Klimchuck, Charles Stocking, Jessica Moss (NYU)
Publications
Blind peer-reviewed
2026 – “Justice, Ruling, and the Craftsman in Republic i” in Ancient Philosophy 46 (1): 41–64.
Book reviews
2025 – with Jenny Strandberg. Amber D. Carpenter and Pierre-Julien Harter (eds.), Crossing the
Stream, Leaving the Cave: Buddhist-Platonist Philosophical Inquiries in British Journal for the
History of Philosophy 34 (1): 171–176.
Presentations, Conferences, and Workshops
Invited
2026 – “A Fork in the Road: Politics as a Master Art in Plato’s Gorgias” Annual Workshop in Ancient
Philosophy” at the University of Toronto, Toronto.
Blind peer-reviewed
2026 – “A Fork in the Road: Politics as a Master Art in Plato’s Gorgias” 21st Annual International
Conference on Philosophy, Athens Institute, Athens.
2025 – “The Form of the Good in and after Plato” Summer Seminar, The Journal for the History of
Philosophy, University of California, San Diego.
2024 – “Justice, Ruling, and the Ideal Craftsman in Republic I”, The Fifth Canadian Colloquium for
Ancient Philosophy, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto.
2020 – Lead discussant on Melina Garbovic’s “The Aesthetic Experience of Moral Beauty”, Athena in
Action Workshop, Cornell University, Ithaca.
2018 –Self-Knowledge and Knowledge of Knowledge in Plato’s Charmides”, The Fourth Canadian
Colloquium for Ancient Philosophy, Université de Sherbooke, Quebec.
2018 – “Self-Knowledge and Knowledge of Knowledge in Plato’s Charmides”, Society for Ancient
Greek Philosophy’s Annual Conference. Christopher Newport University, Virgina.
2016 – “Aristotle on Desire and Phantasia in Animal Locomotion”, The Society for Ancient Greek
Philosophy 34th Annual Meeting. Fordham University, New York City.
2016 – “Aristotle on Desire and Phantasia in Animal Locomotion”, Poster Presentation. The Third
Canadian Colloquium for Ancient Philosophy: McMaster University, Hamilton.
2016 – “Aristotle on Desire and Phantasia in Animal Locomotion”, Perception, Reason & Desire in
Ancient & Medieval Philosophy: Graduate Conference in History of Philosophy, Uppsala.
2016 – “The Stoics on the Soul”, Ancient Philosophy Society 16th Annual Meeting. Portland, Maine.
2015 – “Hedonism and Akrasia: The Unity of Plato’s Protagoras”, Canadian Philosophical Association,
University of Ottawa, Ottawa
2014 – “Epicurus on Friendship”, Canadian Philosophical Association, Brock University, St.
Catharines.
2014 – Comments on Geeta Raghunanan: “‘Imperishability’ as Immunity to Moral Corruption: A
Response to the Problem of the Imperishability of the Epicurean Gods”, Canadian
Philosophical Association, Brock University, St. Catharines.
Media
2026 – “Rhetoric and Ruling in Plato’s Gorgias” interview with Douglas Campbell for The Ancient
Philosophy Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0ZpcSxrvWKjF0CYHQAcq1u
Courses taught
Huron University at Western University
2022-2026 (3x) – Contemporary Political Philosophy, intermediate level.
2025 – History of Political Philosophy, intermediate level.
2025 – Plato, upper level.
2024-2026 (2x) – Aristotle, upper level.
2022-2026 (3x) – Contemporary Political Philosophy, intermediate level.
2022–2026(6x) – Business Ethics, introductory level.
2022 –Cultures, Values, and Human Rights, introductory level.
2022 –Ancient Greek Philosophy, introductory level.
Awards
2025 –Summer Fellow, Harvard Centre for Hellenic Studies.
USD $6000 stipend
2025 – Journal for the History of Philosophy Summer Seminar
USD $2000 stipend.
2019 – Mitacs Globalink Travel Scholarship, Western University
CAD $8000 for doctoral research to a host institution
2018-2019 – Ontario Graduate Scholarship, Western University
CAD $15 000 merit-based scholarship for graduate students in Ontario
2015 – 2016 –Provost Entrance Scholarship, Western University
CAD $4000 merit-based scholarship for entering students
2013 – 2015 Graduate Scholarship, Western University
2012 –Dean’s Senate Scholarship, McMaster University
CAD $800 scholarship for excellence in undergraduate studies
Academic Activity and Service
2026 – reviewer for Ancient Philosophy.
2020 – reviewer for Canadian Philosophical Association Annual Congress
2019 – organizer for Ancient Philosophy Summer Work in Progress Series, Western University.
2017 – referee The Plato Journal
2018–2020 – senior graduate mentor for M.A. students.
Works-in-Progress
A Fork in the Road: Politics as a Master Art in Plato’s Gorgias
Temperance as Self-Knowledge and Knowledge of Knowledge in Plato’s Charmides
Plato’s Republic: Ideal Theory as Ideology?
On Xanthippe in Plato’s Phaedo and Christian De Pizan’s Book of the City of Ladies
Languages
Ancient Greek (advanced reading), Latin (advanced reading), English (native), Mandarin Chinese (basic).