Faculty
Belmont Philosophy faculty have a wide range of expertise and specialties. To go to the professor's website, use the link to the right.
Dr. Mark Anderson
Specialties: Ancient Philosophy (esp. Plato); Greek language, art, literature, and history; Nietzsche
Recent areas of research and publication: Connections between philosophy and war ('Socrates as Hoplite' forthcoming in fall issue of Ancient Philosophy); Response phrases in Platonic dialogues.Current areas of interest: The epistemological assumptions of modernism/empiricism and their impact on (our belief in the possibility of) metaphysics. Thinking through critiques of modernism based upon ancient conceptions of metaphysics and knowledge. Faculty sponsor of philosophy discussion group, The Philologoi ('lovers of rational conversation'). General advocate of all things ancient and/or Greek.
Dr. H. Mike Awalt
Specialties: Existentialism and Phenomenology, Postmodernism, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Philosophy of Film. Recent areas of research and publication: Philosophy and Film (Boston: Copley Publishing). Faculty sponsor of Phi Sigma Tau Belmont's chapter of the National Honor Society in Philosophy.
Dr. Ronnie Littlejohn, Chairman
Specialties: Comparative Philosophy, especially Chinese thought, Ethics, Early Modern Thought, Wittgenstein, Hume, and Russell. Recent areas of research and publication: Books: Becoming Uncarved Wood: the Story of Daoism; Polishing the Chinese Mirror: Essays in Honor of Henry Rosemont, Jr ; Riding the Wind: New Essays on the Daoist Classic the Liezi. Articles in Dao: A Journal of Comparative Philosophy: Philosophy East and West; Journal of Ethics and Leadership; Ching Feng; Southeast Review of Asian Studies; East-West Connections: Review of Asian Studies. Member of the Executive Boards of The Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy; the Southeastern Regional Conference of Asian Studies; and The Association of Regional Centers of the Asian Studies Devlopment Program
Dr. Virginia Osborn
Specialties: Classical and Analytical Philosophy, Aristotle, Epistemology, Philosophy of Law, Political Philosophy, Philosophy and Feminism. Recent areas of research and publication: Friendship and Forgiveness Current work in progress On Beauty
Professor Andrew Davis
Specialties: 18th, 19th and 20th century German Philosophy (esp. Kant, Hegel)
Recent Areas of Research and Publication: A translation of Schelling’s “On Construction in Philosophy” (Forthcoming); The impact of Platonic texts on German Idealism; Modern theories of ideas; Hegel’s use of images
Dr. Thomas Leonard-Martin
Areas of Specialization and Interest: the philosophy of science, especially evolution, and philosophies of biology and psychology; science and religion, including creationism and intelligent design issues; Classical American philosophy; Social and Political philosophy, especially feminism, race and class; and Medical and Research Ethics. Most of Dr. Leonard-Martin’s professional life has been involved with clinical research and medical imaging services in ophthalmology, especially diabetic retinopathy.
Dr. Sam vonMizener
Specialties: Wittgenstein, History of 20th century analytic philosophy, ethics. Recent areas of research: Schopenhauer’s influence on the ethical in Wittgenstein’s Tractatus, specifically with a view to understanding why Wittgenstein claims that ethics and aesthetics are one and the same. Current areas of interest: comparative analysis of William James and (the later) Wittgenstein with respect to how they see the role and meaning of religious beliefs. I am an active member of the Tennessee Philosophical Association, and have read a paper at the TPA’s annual conference for the past three years.
