B.S. Biochemistry, Spring Arbor University 
M.A. Philosophy, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 
Ph.D. Philosophy, Washington University in St. Louis

AOS: Social and Political Philosophy, Philosophy of Law
AOC: Ethics (Metaethics, Normative, Applied, History), Social Epistemology

About: 

Nate works in social, moral, political, and legal philosophy. His main research project is about the authority and legitimacy of institutions, especially institutions other than the state. He asks what it means for other kinds of institutions to be legitimate, what standards they need to meet to be legitimate, and in general what employing discourses of legitimacy is good for. Nate also pursues questions of citizens’ relations to the state, including via disobedience, how criminal defendants deserve to be treated, the nature of reasons, and how we implicitly negotiate normative demands in conversations. There is more specific information on his website: npadams.com.