American philosophy
Lavine's writing and lectures concern a variety of topics including, "the ideas of the Founding Fathers, Judaic thought, women's studies, and biomedical ethics." Some of her areas of specialty include 19th and 20th century continental philosophy, interpretation theory, and sociology of knowledge, American philosophy, and American culture. Despite her variety of interests, American philosophy became her major area of inquiry, especially pragmatism and the writing of John Dewey, and also Charles S. Peirce, C.I. Lewis, Morris R. Cohen, John H. Randall Jr., and John McDermott.