Colin R. Marshall
crm281@nyu.edu
New York University
Philosophy Department
5 Washington Place
New York, NY
10003
Areas of Specialization: Kant, Early Modern Philosophy, Metaethics
Areas of Competence: Ethics, Ancient Philosophy
Dissertation: Keeping Our Selves Together: Kant's Metaphysics of Selves and Objects
Against the view that Kant sees a priori metaphysics as confined to the realm of appearances, I argue that the Critique of Pure Reason contains metaphysical views of the self and objects that underlie appearances. I contend that Kant understands both selves and objects as constituted by mind-independent entities, but that these entities only come to constitute selves and objects in virtue of their relation to experiences.
Non-Dissertation Projects
My current work in early modern philosophy argues that Spinoza's account of the intellect's power over the passions is not the philosophical embarrassment some interpreters have taken it to be, but is instead an independently plausible view in moral psychology. My research in metaethics argues for a strong form of naturalist moral realism, based on the claim that certain empathetic experiences can be understood as perceptions of other creatures' conscious states.
Education
New York University, Department of Philosophy.
Ph.D. expected May 2010.
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Philosophie.
Visiting Student. April-July 2009.
New York University, Department of Philosophy.
M.A. January 2007.
Reed College, Philosophy.
B.A. May 2003.
Fellowships and Awards
Graduate Fellow, New York Institute of Philosophy, 2009-2010
Dean's Dissertation Fellowship, 2009-2010
DAAD Scholarship, for study in Germany, 2008
Fulbright Award (declined in order to accept DAAD), 2008
Outstanding Graduate Student Paper Prize, Pacific APA, March 2006
MacCracken Fellowship, NYU, 2004-2009
Edwin N. Garlan Prize in Philosophy, Reed College, 2003
Phi Beta Kappa Society, Reed College. Admitted May, 2003
Commendation for Academic Excellence, Reed College, 2002-2003
Commendation for Academic Excellence, Reed College, 2001-2002
Robert C. Byrd Scholarship, State of New Mexico, 1999-2003
Publications
"The Mind and Body as 'One and the Same Thing' In Spinoza"
British Journal for the History of Philosophy (2009) 17:5, 897-919
Review of Michael N. Forster, Kant and Skepticism.
Journal of the History of Philosophy (2009) 47:2, 319-320
Presentations
"Spinoza on the Power of Reason over the Passions"
Leibniz-Preis-Forschungsprojeckt Colloquium. Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany, June 2009.
"Kant on the Real Existence and Composition of Everyday Objects"
Frankfurt University, Frankfurt, Germany, June 2009.
"The Metaphysics of the Self in Kant"
Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany, June 2009.
"The Identity of the Self in Kant's Third Paralogism"
Amiens Universite de Picardie workshop on Kant on the identity of persons. Amiens, France, May 2008.
"A Kantian Account of Epistemic Normativity"
Seoul National University/NYU Micro-Conference. New York, February 2007.
"Two Arguments Against the Particular Content Reading of Nicolas Malebranche's 'General Volitions'"
Pacific APA. Portland, OR, March 2006.
Teaching
As Instructor (responsibile for all aspects of the course):
Ethics, NYU, Summer 2008
Life and Death, NYU, Summer 2007
History of Modern Philosophy, NYU, Summer 2006
As Teaching Assistant (responsible for leading sections and grading):
Ethics, David Velleman, Fall 2007
History of Modern Philosophy, Don Garrett, Spring 2007
As Teaching Assistant (responsible for grading):
History of Ancient Philosophy, Matt Evans and Phillip Mitsis, Fall 2006
History of Modern Philosophy, Wayne Waxman, Fall 2005
Graduate Courses Taken or Audited (*)
Proseminar, Harman and Street, Fall 2004
Seventeenth-Century Rationalism, Garrett, Fall 2004
Aristotle's Teleology*, Richardson, Fall 2004
Topics in Ethics, Parfit and Harman, Fall 2004 & Spring 2005
Descartes, Garber, (Princeton) Spring 2005
Kant's Critique of Pure Reason, Waxman, Spring 2005
Plato's Ethics and Epistemology, Evans, Spring 2005
Percepts and Concepts, Block and Strevens, Fall 2005
Philosophy of Action, Velleman, Fall 2005
Ancient Philosophy of Mind*, Evans, Fall 2005
Heidegger*, Richardson, Fall 2005
Expressivism and Self-Knowledge*, Shoemaker, Spring 2006
Mind and Language Seminar (Focus: Early Modern)*, Garrett and Longuenesse, Spring 2006
Spinoza on the Metaphysics of the Mind and Body, Garrett (Assoc. Writing course), Spring 2006
Kant on Inner Sense, Longuenesse (Assoc. Writing course), Spring 2006
Locke, Hume and Reid*, Garrett, Fall 2006
Advanced Logic, Kit Fine, Fall 2006
Kant's Practical Philosophy*, Rosenkoetter, Spring 2007
Kant and Contemporary Philosophy*, Longuenesse and Peacocke, Fall 2007
Spinoza and Hobbes*, Garrett, Fall 2008
The Self*, Velleman, Spring 2009
Thesis Preparation Seminar, Schiffer, Fine, Field, and Street, Fall 2006 - Spring 2009
Service
Referee for Ancient Philosophy
Volunteer Instructor, New York Institute of Philosophy Outreach Program
Co-Founder, New York Institute of Philosophy Outreach Program
Graduate Student Representative, 2007-2008
Invited panel member, Departmental Orientation for New TAs, 2007, 2008
Curriculum committee, 2004-2005
Paper reviewer for NYU/Columbia Graduate Student Conference, 2004-2009
Organizer for Washington Square Circle, Spring 2006-Spring 2008
References
Béatrice Longuenesse (New York University) - bl41 at nyu dot edu
David Velleman (New York University) - jdvelleman at nyu dot edu
Dina Emundts (HU Berlin) - dina dot emundts dit 1 at cms dot hu-berlin dot de
Don Garrett (New York University) - don.garrett at nyu dot edu
Johannes Haag (Humboldt Universität/Potsdam Universität) - johannes dot haag at lrz dot uni-muenchen dot de
John Richardson (New York University) - jr8 at nyu dot edu
Sharon Street (New York University) - sharon dot street at nyu dot edu