EMPLOYMENT

Philosophy Program, Eastern Washington University (Cheney, WA)

Professor......................................... Sept. 2017 - Present
Program Director........................... Sept. 2015 – June 2018; April 2025 - Present
Associate Professor .........................June 2013 – June 2017
Assistant Professor .........................Sept. 2008 – June 2013

EDUCATION

Ph.D. UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA- Tampa Fl. Dec. 2008

Dissertation: “Naturalism in the Philosophies of John Dewey and Zhuangzi: The Live Creature and the Crooked Tree.”

M.A. UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA- Tampa Fl. Aug. 2005

Thesis: “Experience and Inquiry in John Dewey’s Contextualism”

B.A. UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA- Jacksonville, Fl. May 2001

RESEARCH AREAS

General Emphasis: History of Philosophy, Value Theory

Areas of Specialization: American Philosophy, Comparative Philosophy

Areas of Competency: Ancient Philosophy, Chinese Philosophy, Environmental Ethics, Existentialism & Phenomenology, Philosophy of Religion, Medieval Philosophy, Modern Philosophy

PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

Books

[Author] Moral Knack [In development]
[Editor] Ethics, Rhetoric, and Materiality in Comparative Thought [in development]
[Editor] Dewey and the Ancients: Hellenic and Hellenistic Themes in the Philosophy of John Dewey. The Bloomsbury Series on American Philosophy. (Bloomsbury, July 2014)

Peer Reviewed Journal Articles & Book Chapters

"Materiality, Urbanization, and Cosmopolitanism along the Medieval 'Silk Road'," [In development]
"Gaining Perspective with the Zhuangzi." [In review]
"Radical Amelioration: John Dewey, Environmental Activism, and Social Transformation," in School and Society, Vol. 10 (1) [2024]
"Walking, Wilderness, and Exposure: Learning from Thoreau's Episode on Katahdin," in Eco-Anxiety and Pandemic Distress: Psychological Perspectives on Resilience and Interconnectedness, Douglas Vakoch, ed. [Oxford University Press, 2022]
"The Organic Roots of Conatus in Early Greek Thought." Conatus - Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 6 (2) [2021] 29-49.
“Goblet Words and Moral Knack: Non-Cognitive Moral Realism in the Zhuangzi,” in Comparative Metaethics, Colin Marshall, ed. [Routledge, 2019]
“Naturalism and Moral Expertise in the Zhuangzi.” Journal of East-West Thought, Vol. 7 (3) [Fall 2017] 13-27.
“Ned Stark: One Man in Ten Thousand,” in The Ultimate Game of Thrones and Philosophy, Robert Arp & Eric Silverman, eds. [Open Court, 2016]
“Gadamer, Dewey, and the Importance of Play in Philosophical Inquiry.” (with B. Graham) Reason Papers, Vol. 38 (1) [Spring 2016] 8-20.
“The Live Creature and the Crooked Tree: Thinking Nature in Dewey and Zhuangzi.” Philosophica, Vol. 47 [April 2016] 61-76.
“Dewey and ‘the Greeks:’ Inquiry and the Organic Spirit of Greek Philosophy,” in Dewey and the Ancients: Hellenic and Hellenistic Themes in the Philosophy of John Dewey, Christopher C. Kirby, ed. [Bloomsbury, 2014]
“‘Imaginationland,’ Terrorism, and the Difference between Real And Imaginary,” in The Ultimate South Park and Philosophy, Robert Arp & Kevin S. Decker, eds. [Wiley-Blackwell, 2013]
“John Dewey and the Prospect of Going ‘Beyond Aesthetics’.” Aesthetic Pathways, Vol. 2 (2) [2012] 74-97.
“‘I’ve Made a Huge Mistake:’ George Oscar Bluth, Jr. and the Role of Error in Character Development.” (with J. Hilliard and M. Holmes) in Arrested Development and Philosophy, Kristopher Phillips and J. Jeremy Wisnewski, eds. [Wiley-Blackwell, 2012]
“Who is the More Pragmatic Daoist – Laozi or Zhuangzi?” Northwest Journal of Philosophy. Vol. 1 [2010] 2-14.
“Socrates, the Eros of Philosophy, and American Naturalism,” Skepsis: A Journal for Philosophy and Interdisciplinary Research. 16 (1-2) [2005] 115-121.

Conference Proceedings

“Philosophical Naturalism and the Environment.” in Issues in Human Relations and Environmental Philosophy, Boudouri, S. & Kalimtzis, K., eds. [Athens, GR: Ionia Publications, 2014]
“Education as Greek Paideia, Chinese Xué (學), and Deweyan Growth.” in Paideia: Education in the Global Era, Vol I. Boudouris, K., ed. [Athens, GR: Ionia Publications, 2008]

Encyclopedia Entries

“Biophilia” Encyclopedia of Environmental Issues. Rasmussen, R.K., ed., Salem Press [May, 2011]

REFEREED PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS

“Moral Expertise– Articulate Skill or 'Dumb' Knack?” The 18th Annual Hawaii International Conference on Arts & Humanities. Honolulu, HI (10, January, 2020)
“Goblet Words and Moral Knack: Non-Cognitive Moral Realism in the Zhuangzi?,” ISCWP session of American Philosophical Association’s Central Meeting. Denver, CO (20-23, February, 2019)
“Goblet Words and Moral Knack: Non-Cognitive Moral Realism in the Zhuangzi?,” Lost Voices in Metaethics. Seattle, WA (23, August, 2018)
“Zhuangzi and Moral Knack,” SACP session of American Philosophical Association’s Pacific Meeting. Seattle, WA (14 April, 2017)
“Service Learning and Sustainability in Environmental Ethics,” Washington Higher Education Sustainability Conference. Spokane WA (16-17 February, 2017)
“Kant’s Kingdom of Ends and the Zhēnrén,” Northwest Philosophy Conference. Spokane, WA (14 October, 2016)
“The Value of Faith in American Naturalism,” The Virtue of Faith Conference. Bellingham, WA (22 September, 2016)
“John Anton and the Political Wisdom of Aristotle for Our Time,” International Symposium of the Olympic Center for Philosophy and Culture. Olympia, Greece (23 July 2016)
“Moral Expertise in the Zhuangzi,” Northwest Philosophy Conference. Coeur D’Alene, ID (10 October, 2015)
“Nature, Impulse, and Action in Mythopoetic Greece,” Eleventh Association for the Study of Literature and the Environment Biennial Conference. Moscow, ID (24 June, 2015)
“Service Learning in the Environmental Ethics Classroom,” 2015 Intercollegiate Community Engagement Institute. Spokane, WA (21 May, 2015)
“Naturalism and Moral Expertise in the Zhuangzi,” ISCP session of the American Philosophical Association’s Pacific Meeting. Vancouver, B.C. (4 April, 2015)
“Philosophical Naturalism as an Environmental Meta-ethic.” The Interdisciplinary Environmental Association’s 19th Annual International Interdisciplinary Conference on the Environment. Portland, OR (15 June, 2013)
“Education as Greek Paideia, Confucian Xué, and Deweyan Growth.” International Symposium of the Olympic Center for Philosophy and Culture. Olympia, Greece (July 2011)
“The Kallipolis and its Problems: A Deweyan Response to Plato.” The International Association for Greek Philosophy Annual Conference on Philosophy. Vouliagmeni, Greece. (July 2011)
“Breaking into Dialectic: Education and Enlightenment in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave.” International Symposium of the Olympic Center for Philosophy and Culture. Olympia, Greece (26 July 2010)
“Philosophical Naturalism and the Environment.” The International Association for Greek Philosophy Annual Conference on Philosophy. Kalamata, Greece. (18 July 2010)
“American Intellectual Rebirth: Paideia and Growth,” at John Dewey's 150th Birthday Celebration: An International Conference on Dewey's Impact on America and the World. Amherst, NY (22-24 October, 2009)
“The Role of Religious Experience in American Naturalism.” International Symposium of the Olympic Center for Philosophy and Culture. Pyrgos, Greece (31 July 2007)
“Education and Inquiry: Greek Paideia, Chinese Xué (學), and Deweyan Growth.” The International Association for Greek Philosophy Annual Conference on Philosophy. Samos, Greece. (18 July 2007)
“Socrates, the Eros of Philosophy, and American Naturalism.” International Symposium of the Olympic Center for Philosophy and Culture. Pyrgos, Greece (30 July 2006)
“John Dewey, the ‘Public’ and Re-envisioning Social Justice in a Global Era.” The International Association for Greek Philosophy Annual Conference on Philosophy. Kavala, Greece (23 July 2006)
"Self-Realization in Confucius and Zhuangzi: Jūnzi or Zhēnrén?" Fordham University International Conference on Ancient and Medieval Philosophy. New York, NY (16 October 2005)
“Socrates, Eros and Philosophy” XVIth International Symposium of the Olympic Center for Philosophy and Culture. Olympia, Greece (26 July 2005)
“The Scattering of Moonlight: Leibniz’ Connection with Chinese Thought.” Third Annual Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities. Honolulu, HI (16 January 2005)
“Eudaimonia and Growth: The Concept of Flourishing in Aristotle and Dewey.” (with P.S. Bishop) Fordham University International Conference on Ancient and Medieval Philosophy. New York, NY (30 October 2004)
“A Case for Master Hui’s Tree: Ironic Tolerance in Rorty and Zhuangzi.” University of Hawaii Annual Cross Currents in Comparative Philosophy Conference. Honolulu, HI (7 March 2003)
“Transcendental Paths: On the Phenomenological Reduction.” University of North Florida Annual Graduate Student Conference. Jacksonville, FL (8 March 2002)

INVITED LECTURES

"Was Confucius Just Another Sexist Asshole? Gender Roles and Normativity in Confucian Thought" SFCC Philosophy Presents Lecture Series. Spokane, WA (1 June 2022)
“Kant's Kingdom of Ends and the Zhēnrén, or the Dao of Königsberg, Redux?” Martin Schönfeld in Memoriam Conference. Tampa, FL (9 April 2021)
"The Looming AI Winter: Dewey & Dreyfus on Understanding, Expertise, and 'Artifactual' Intelligence," EWU Philosophy Club. Cheney, WA (29 May, 2020)
“The Potential of Wisdom,” Eastern Washington University Phi Eta Sigma Inductee Banquet. Cheney, WA (18 May 2017)
“Language and Thought in Comparative Philosophy,” Eastern Washington University Symposium on Language in Thought and Society. Cheney, WA (4 May 2017)
“Zhu Xi’s Li Xue: Principle and Conduct in Medieval Chinese Thought,” Eastern Washington University Honors Freshmen Combined Lecture. Cheney, WA (28 February 2017)
“Is this for Real? Critical Thinking vs. Fake News” EWU Science Colloquia Series. Cheney, WA. (10 February 2017)
“Practicing Spontaneity with the Ancient Sages,” 2017 EWU Chinese New Year Festival. Cheney, WA. (26 January 2017)
“The Role of Religious Experience in American Naturalism.” Gonzaga University’s Socratic Club. Spokane, WA. (29 April 2011)
“The Second Sage? - On the Role of Women in Ancient Chinese Philosophies.” EWU Contemporary Issues in Feminist Research. Cheney, WA. (28 April 2010)
“David Hume and the Enterprise of Ethical Naturalism.” USF Philosophy Graduate Student Organization Lecture Series. Tampa, Fl. (6 October 2006)
“Katrina, The Public and Its Problems, and the Philosopher’s Task,” Society for Classical Pragmatism Studies Lecture Series. Tampa, FL (10 March 2006)
“Education and Culture from a Pragmatist’s Perspective.” Society for Classical Pragmatism Studies Lecture Series. Tampa, FL (23 September 2005)
“Civil Disobedience and Pragmatism.” Society for Classical Pragmatism Studies Lecture Series. Tampa, FL (12 November 2004)
“Pragmatism and the Weather (Chauncey Wright and the Pragmatist Conception of Necessity).” Society for Classical Pragmatism Studies Lecture Series. Tampa, FL (3 September 2004)
“Human Rights and the Threat of Terrorism.” University of North Florida/ Jacksonville University Joint Colloquia Series. Jacksonville, FL (11 July 2002)

NON-REFEREED PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS

Panel Discussant: “Understanding Climate Change,” EWU Office of Sustainability Workshop. (9 September, 2018)
Panel Organizer: “What Modern Democracies Could Learn from Aristotle” International Symposium of Olympic Center for Philosophy and Culture. Olympia, Greece (22 July, 2016)
Panel Organizer: “What Modern Democracies Could Learn from Aristotle” Spokane Intercollegiate Research Conference, Spokane WA. (23 April, 2016)
Panel Discussant: “Philosophy and Pop Culture” 2013 Spokane Get Lit! Festival. Spokane, WA. (13 April, 2013)
Commentary on Robert Scharff’s “Socrates: Being an Athenian by Loving Wisdom.” The American Philosophical Association Pacific Division Meeting. Seattle, Wa. (7 April, 2012)
Panel Discussant: “Plato and Dewey on Democracy.” Annual Conference of the Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy. Spokane, Wa. (10 March, 2011)
Panel Discussant: “Plato and Democracy.” International Symposium of the Olympic Center for Philosophy and Culture. Olympia, Greece (28 July 2010)
Panel Discussant: “Pop Culture in Philosophy” 2010 Spokane Get Lit! Festival. Spokane, WA. (17 April, 2010)
Commentary on William Grove Fanning’s “Locating Heraclitus within the Balance and Flux of Nature Traditions.” Inland Northwest Philosophy Conference. Moscow, ID. (2 May, 2009)
Commentary on Daniel Coyle’s “Efficacy in the Book of Master Guigu.” The American Philosophical Association Eastern Division Meeting. Baltimore, MD. (30 December 2007)
Panel Discussant: “Climate and Philosophical Pedagogy.” 1st International Climate and Philosophy Conference. Tampa, Fl. (16 September 2006)