EDUCATION
& BIOGRAPHY
PhD, Philosophy (ACU)

BA Advanced Hons (University of Sydney),
MA (Research) in Philosophy (University of Sydney),
MSt Practical Ethics (University of Oxford),
PhD in Philosophy (ACU)

Biography





Xavier is Director of the Plunkett Centre for Ethics at the Australian Catholic University. Xavier’s research interests include ethical issues at the beginning and end of life, conscientious objection, ethical issues in aged care, and pandemic ethics. His recently completed PhD thesis focused on the allocation of lifesaving healthcare resources. Xavier has taught bioethics for several years, and has worked with the Catholic healthcare sector on several projects related to ethics education. In 2020, Xavier was awarded a Fulbright Future Postdoctoral Scholarship, and he was a scholar in residence at Georgetown University's Kennedy Institute of Ethics from September 2021 to March 2022.

Education

2020

University of Oxford
Master of Studies, Practical Ethics

2018 - 2020
Thesis title: Conscience and the Moral Permissibility of Institutional Conscientious Objection
Supervisors: Dr Tom Douglas
This thesis considered whether healthcare institutions should have a legal right to opt-out of the provision of medical procedures that violate their ethical standards or mission. Specifically, I consider whether a healthcare institution’s right to conscientious objection is morally contingent on it having a conscience.

2020

Australian Catholic University
Doctor of Philosophy, PhD, Philosophy

2016 – 2020
Thesis title: Meeting Needs and Respecting Persons: An Ethical Framework for the Allocation of Lifesaving Healthcare Resources
Supervisors: Dr Steve Matthews, Dr Stewart Braun.
The thesis addressed the question, “How can we allocate health resources fairly under conditions of scarcity?”. I argued in favour of a contractualist approach to resource allocation inspired by the work of Stephen Darwall. I explored how this framework applies in two concrete scenarios: the allocation of medical care in a pandemic and the allocation of vital organs in organ transplantation programs.

2015

University of Sydney
Master of Arts, Philosophy

2013 – 2015
Thesis title: Aquinas, Scotus and Ockham on the Knowledge of Singular Objects
Supervisors: Dr Paul Thom
In this thesis I compared three differing accounts of singular knowledge offered by philosophers during the High Medieval Period, namely, the accounts proposed by Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), John Duns Scotus (1265-1308), and William of Ockham (1287-1347). By singular knowledge, I am referring to the cognition of singular objects qua singulars by the intellect.

2012

University of Sydney
Bachelor of Arts Advanced (Hons.), Philosophy

2010-2012
Second Class, First Division