Jeffrey D’Souza graduated with a PhD in philosophy in 2017 and currently works as an ethicist and researcher for the Institute for Better Health (Trillium Health Partners). In this Q and A, he shares his thoughts on his time at McMaster, his current role as an ethicist and researcher for the Institute for Better Health, and the benefits of reading Aristotle’s The Nichomachean Ethics.

How did you decide on McMaster? Do you have any favourite places or memories?

I joined the PhD program in philosophy in the fall of 2012, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I came to McMaster specifically to work with Dr. Mark Johnstone and Dr. Violetta Igneski who both guided me academically, as well as cared for and supported me as a person. I also had other amazing faculty members who I learned a lot from during my studies and who made me feel supported, such as Dr. Elisabeth Gedge.

I really appreciated my time spent in the classroom. Whether it was listening to an engaging lecture on Aristotle’s ethics or teaching students about our moral responsibilities to society, the classroom is where my most meaningful experiences took place. Aside from the classroom, I enjoyed attending sporting events, spinning at The Pulse, playing squash or basketball and running on the track at DBAC. After a long day of grading or studying, I also enjoyed heading to the Phoenix for a cold beverage with friends.

You’re an ethicist and a researcher. What does that mean in practice?

In my current role at the Institute for Better Health, I draw on my academic training to provide ethics related guidance to investigators conducting research involving human participants.  As a researcher, I apply normative ethical principles and develop ethics frameworks to help policymakers answer real-world questions. In addition to practicing as an ethicist and a researcher, I also teach Research Ethics in the Applied Clinical Research Program at McMaster University Continuing Education, and run my own ethics consulting practice: Integrity in Ethics.

Why does the world need philosophy?

In an age of mass marketing, information overload, and far too many attempts to undermine our most basic forms of knowing and understanding the world around us, philosophy can help us to distinguish truth from falsity, reality from fiction, and what we should do, morally speaking, versus what might be detrimental to others and our planet. The critical thinking skills that one develops over the course of a pursuing a degree in philosophy is very important in terms of helping us to make sense of our world and how we might best contribute to it.

How did the education you receive at McMaster and more specifically in philosophy or the humanities, help you in your career?

McMaster and the department of philosophy provided me with a solid foundation to practice ethics. It was at McMaster where I mastered a large body of knowledge, and refined my critical thinking, writing, and communication skills. I would not be where I am today without my PhD from McMaster. It helped me land my first job at Toronto Metropolitan University in research ethics, and helped me land my second job at the Institute on Ethics and Policy for Innovation at Master University, where I had an opportunity to discuss and work with partners across the world – including at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the African Vaccine Regulatory Forum, and the World Health Organization – to help address complex issues in global health ethics. The skills and experience I refined and gained in both of these jobs – as well as the learnings and unlearnings that took place along the way– have really helped me get to where I am today.

Is there anything else you’d like our audience to know?

I think one additional benefit from studying philosophy are the insights gained by getting us to think beyond what it is that we want – e.g., a high-paying job, a luxury car, a multi-million dollar home – to why we want what we do, e.g., safety and security, connectedness with others, acceptance from our peers, etc. For many of my students, philosophy has enabled them to think more critically about external influences on their desires and actions, and has enabled them to live more authentic, grounded and meaningful lives.

That’s spoken like a true philosopher. Is there a book that you would recommend to someone who wants to explore philosophy a little bit more?

Aristotle’s The Nicomachean Ethics explores what it means to live well and what it means to be truly happy. He starts off by observing the diverging views of happiness at the time that he wrote, noting that sick people often define happiness in terms of health, and poor people in terms of wealth before going on to provide his own articulation of what it means to truly live well and what happiness for humans entails (spoiler alert: friendship is one of the most important elements in a good life). I find that this book is a good starting point to get us to reflect on what really matters in life, and to chart out authentic paths of our own.