For many years, my research has been focused on metaphysics: Aristotelian, scholastic (both medieval and Baroque scholasticism) and contemporary analytical metaphysics, including the metaphysics of mind and agency (and henceforth the fundamentals of ethics). I think that history of philosophy is crucial for doing philosophy, but my interest in the history is systematic and not purely exegetic. I believe a serious, systematic and autonomous study of fundamental philosophical issues is possible, fruitful and rewarding. I also think there are many important parallels between some debates and insights in contemporary analytical metaphysics and late scholasticism. In most issues, I embrace a Thomist standpoint.
I have published several books and numerous papers on the issues of individuation, the ontology of habits in late scholasticism, the metaphysics of powers in late scholasticism and contemporary analytical metaphysics. Currently I am working on a couple of issues concerning agency and causality (in particular: agent causality, non-causal theories of agency, volitionism, the relation of causality and voluntariness, the principle of double effect) and on some problems of hylomorphism (in particular the idea of formal causality). Again I think that it is old and surprisingly rich scholasticism combined with some tools and insights of contemporary analytical metaphysics that offers the best prospects of a successful quest for the truth.