Xiao Qi

My PhD project focuses on David Hume's theory of moral obligation, especially concerning the discrepancies in his conception of obligation between the categories of 'natural virtues' (like benevolence) and 'artificial virtues' (like justice), and the relationship between his theory of obligation and that of convention and custom. My supervisors are Prof. James Harris and Dr Alex Douglas.

Before coming to St Andrews, I studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics for my bachelor's degree and Philosophy for my M.A., both completed at Peking University.

My main research interests lie in Hume's moral philosophy and, more generally, moral and political theories in early modern (17th-18th centuries) Europe. I also have a wide philosophical interest in other topics in early modern philosophy and the history of Chinese philosophy.