A practitioner of comparative philosophy who transforms diverse voices into collective insight
Ben is a Specialist in Philosophy at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Director of Philosophy and Ethics in Education at the Uehiro Academy. He earned his PhD in Comparative Philosophy at the University of Hawaiʻi, where he developed a philosophical approach that moves beyond Western-centric frameworks to explore how humans think, learn, and make decisions across cultures and contexts.
His areas of expertise include philosophy of disability, comparative philosophy, and philosophy for children (P4C). He is widely recognized for his commitment to bringing voices traditionally excluded from philosophical discourse into the center of inquiry. In Hawaiʻi, he has led Philosopher-in-Residence projects in public schools and has taught and mentored both educators and students across public elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and the University of Hawaiʻi.
What defines his navigation is his ability to transform differences—of background, perspective, and ability—into sources of deeper understanding rather than division. In leadership and organizational contexts, he excels at guiding dialogue in moments of tension and complexity, helping decision-makers uncover assumptions, broaden perspectives, and elevate the quality of the community of inquiry.