Robert J. Howell
Department of Philosophy
Southern Methodist University
P.O. Box 750333
Dallas TX 75275
(214) 415-8241
rhowell@mail.smu.edu
www.rjhjr.com
Employment
Southern Methodist University, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, Summer 2008-Present
New York University, Visiting Scholar, Department of Philosophy, Fall 2009
Southern Methodist University, Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy Fall 2002-Spring 2008
Washington University in St. Louis, Visiting Scholar, Department of Philosophy, Summer 2006
University of Texas at Austin, Visiting Scholar, Department of Philosophy, Spring 2006
Education
Brown University, Philosophy, M.A., May 2000, Ph.D., May 2002
Dissertation: Self-Knowledge and Self-Reference
Advisors: Jaegwon Kim and Ernest Sosa
University of Iowa, Philosophy, B.A., May 1996
Areas of Specialization
Philosophy of Mind, Epistemology, Metaphysics
Areas of Competence
Philosophy of Language, Philosophy of Religion
Publications
Books
A Dialogue on Consciousness. With Torin Alter. Oxford University Press: New York, 2009
Consciousness and Physicalism. ed. With Torin Alter, Oxford University Press: New York, 2011.
The God Dialogues. With Torin Alter. Oxford University Press: New York, 2011
Subjective Physicalism. Under contract with Oxford University Press, UK
Articles
“Subjective Physicalism vs. Russellian Monism” with Torin Alter, in Between Physicalism and Dualism: Essays on Russellian Monism. Eds. Torin Alter and Yujin Nagasawa, Oxford University Press, forthcoming.
“Google Morals, Virtue and the Asymmetry of Deference.” Nous, forthcoming.
“Physicalism, Old School,” in Consciousness and Physicalism. Ed. Alter, Torin and Robert Howell. Oxford University Press, 2011
“The Knowledge Argument and the Implications of Phenomenal Knowledge” Philosophy Compass, Vol. 6, Issue 7, 2011, pp.459-468
“The Skeptic, the Content Externalist, and The Theist,” International Journal for Philosophy of Religion,69 (3), 2011, pp. 173-180
“Subjectivity and the Elusiveness of the Self,” Canadian Journal of Philosophy, 2010 40 (3), pp.
“The Ontology of Subjective Physicalism,” Nous, 43:2, 2009
“The Two-Dimensionalist Reductio,” Pacific Philosophical Quarterly, 89, 2008
“Emergentism and Supervenience Physicalism” Australasian Journal of Philosophy, 87,No.1, 2009
“Subjective Physicalism” in The Case for Qualia. Ed. Wright, Edmund. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2008.
“Immunity to Error and Subjectivity” Canadian Journal of Philosophy, Vol 37, No. 4, December 2007
“The Knowledge Argument and Objectivity” Philosophical Studies, September 2007
“Self-Knowledge and Self-Reference” Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, January 2006.
“A Puzzle for Pragmatism” American Philosophical Quarterly, April 2005.
“Sensations, Swatches and Speckled Hens” with Jeremy Fantl. Pacific Philosophical Quarterly, December 2003.
Reviews, Encyclopedia Articles, Etc.
Review of Baggini, Julian. The Ego Trip. Granta, 2011. The Philosopher’s Magazine, 55, 2011
Review of Mark Siderits, Evan Thompson and Dan Zahavi (eds.) Self, No-Self. Oxford University Press, 2011, Notre Dame Philosophical Review, 7, 2011
“Predestination and the Wages of Sin,” Philosophy Now, Issue 74, 2009
“The Hard Problem,” Scholarpedia, with Torin Alter
Review of Stalnaker, Robert. Our Knowledge of the Internal World. Oxford University Press, 2008. Philosophical Quarterly.
Review of O’Brien, Lucy. Self-Knowing Agents. Oxford University Press. 2007. Notre Dame Philosophical Review, 3/21/2008
Invited Presentations
“Cogito Contextualism,” University of Houston, Fall 2012
“The Mind Body Problem in the 21st Century,” Dallas Philosophers Forum, Fall 2012
“Phenomenal Me-ness” with Brad Thompson, Workshop on Consciousness and the Self, SMU, Spring 2012
“Phenomenal Content and the New Evil Demon Problem,” APA Pacific Division (Invited Paper), Seattle, Spring 2012
“What’s Wrong with Google Morals?” Princeton University/Brown University Workshop on Moral Authority, Spring 2011; ROME, Boulder, Colorado, July 2011; University of Alabama, October 2011;
Comments on Blackmon’s, “Physical Realizations of Consciousness”, APA Pacific Division, Spring 2011
Comments on Ford’s, “How to Banish Zombies and Disembodied Minds with a Can of Rocks,” APA Central Division, Spring 2011
“The Hard Problem of the Self,” Northwest Philosophy Conference, Fall 2010
“The Hard Problem of the Self,” Southern Society for Philosophy and Psychology, Invited Symposium on the Self, Spring 2010
“Perception and the Illusion of Transparency,” NYU Consciousness Project, Fall 2009
Comments on “The Reverse-Zombie Argument against Dualism,” APA Pacific Division, Spring 2009.
Comments on “Turning the Tables on Dualism,” Online Consciousness Conference, Spring 2009.
“The Problem of Consciousness,” Texas Christian University Philosophy Club, Spring 2009
“Deduction and Necessitation,” Brown University Department of Philosophy, Fall 2008
Comments on John’s “Thau on Qualia and Representational Content,” APA Central Division, Spring 2008
“Deduction, Necessitation and Consciousness,” Toward a Science of Consciousness, Spring 2008.
“Privileged Access without Self-Knowledge” Southern Society for Philosophy and Psychology, Spring 2008
Comments on Bates’ “A Problem with Kim’s Qualia Epiphenomenalism,” APA Pacific Division, Spring 2008
Comments on Beisecker’s “Knowing What It’s Like: A Zombie’s Perspective” Southern Society for Philosophy and Psychology, Spring 2007.
“The Ontology of Subjective Physicalism” Washington University in St. Louis, Winter 2006
“Anti-Depressants and Personal Identity” Texas Tech Public Lecture, Fall 2006 (Filmed by Healthnet at Texas Tech for use in their long distance learning program.)
“The Two-Dimensionalist Reductio” APA Central Division, Spring 2007
Texas Tech Philosophy Department, Fall 2006
Alabama Philosophical Association, Fall 2006
“Emergentism and Supervenience Physicalism” APA Pacific Division, Spring 2006
Comments on Larkins’s “Knowledge, Assertion and Invariant Standards”, Central States Philosophical Association, Fall 2004.
“Thomas Reid and Scottish ‘Common Sense’ Philosophy,” Dallas Philosopher’s Forum, Spring 2004
Comments on Rousch’s “Tracking with Closure”, APA Pacific Division, Spring 2003
Honors and Fellowships
President’s Associates Award for Outstanding Teaching and Research, SMU, Spring 2011
Nominated for Ford Research Fellowship, Fall 2010
Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professor, Spring 2009
Inducted into SMU Academy of Distinguished Teachers, Spring 2009
Nominated for SMU’s “Rotunda Award” for outstanding teaching, Spring 2007, Spring 2008
Nominated for SMU’s “Golden Mustang” award for excellence in teaching, Fall 2006 and Fall 2007
Phi Beta Kappa, Winter, 1996
Gustav Bergmann award (outstanding undergraduate student in philosophy at the University of Iowa), Spring 1996
Teaching Experience
Ancient Philosophy
Epistemology
Existentialism
Independent Study: Advanced Philosophy of Mind
Introduction to Philosophy
Minds, Machines and Persons
Philosophy of Mind
Service
Philosophy, Religious and Ethical Inquiry Pillary Committee, Spring 2012-Present
University Curriculum Council, Fall 2011-Present
Dedman College Tenure Committee, Fall 2009-Spring 2012
‘University Admissions Council, Fall 2005-Fall 2011
Undergraduate Advisor, SMU Philosophy Department, Fall 2010 to Present
Faculty Advisor, SMU Philosophy Club, Fall 2005-Present
Senator, SMU Faculty Senate, Fall 2007-Present
Professional Activities
Co-Organizer, Consciousness and the Self, Conference at SMU Spring 2012
Co-Organizer, Brains, Mind, and Society, Conference at SMU, Spring 2011
Co-Founder and Member, North Texas Neurophilosophy Network
Administrator and Contributor, Brainpains.com, a group blog in the philosophy of mind
NEH Seminar Participant, “Mind and Metaphysics,” Summer 2006
Referee, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, Philosophical Papers, Philosophical Quarterly, Philosophical Studies, Canadian Journal of Philosophy, Nous, Australasian Journal of Philosophy, Journal of Consciousness Studies, Erkenntnis, Philosophia, Journal of Philosophical Research, Oxford University Press, Routledge, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, NEH Seminar Selection Committee 2009, Mind and Language
Co-Coordinator, Roderick M. Chisholm Memorial Conference, Spring 2000