Latiolais CV

Robert Christopher Latiolais, Chair

Philosophy Department
Kalamazoo College
1200 Academy St.
Kalamazoo, MI 49006
269.337.7076
Email: latiolai@kzoo.edu


FORMAL EDUCATION:

  • University of California, San Diego. 1990-1991
  • Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universitaet, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. 1987-1989
  • University of California, San Diego. 1983-1987
  • University of California, Berkeley. 1976-1980
  • University of Birmingham, England. 1977-1978
  • University of California, Santa Barbara. 1974-1976

DEGREES:

Ph.D. University of California, San Diego. March 1992
MA. University of California, San Diego. June 1987
BA. University of California, Berkeley. June 1980

DISSERTATION:

The Concept of the Lifeworld in Habermas’s Theory of Communicative Action (Committee Members:
Frederick Olafson (chair), Robert Pippin, Avrum Stroll, Jonathan Saville, David Luft)

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION:

  • 20th-Century European Continental Philosophy
  • Critical Social Theory
  • 19th-Century Philosophy: German Idealism
  • Philosophy of Language
  • Philosophy of Literature
  • Philosophy of Psychoanalysis

AREAS OF COMPETENCE:

  • Philosophy of the Social Sciences
  • Philosophy of Mind
  • Philosophy of Law

TEACHING EXPERIENCE:

  • Kalamazoo College, Philosophy Department: 1991-Present
  • University of Chicago, Philosophy Department: 1997-1998
  • University of California, San Diego; Philosophy Department: 1989-1991
  • University of San Diego, Philosophy Department: 1987
  • University of California, San Diego: Revelle Humanities Program: 1983-1987

PUBLICATIONS:

  1. “Kierkegaard, Schelling, and Hegel: How to Read the Spheres of Existence as Appropriate Knowledge,” Journal of Chinese Philosophy, Volume 40, Issue 1, March 2013.
  2. Guest Editor, Special Edition of Inquiry: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Philosophy: Hegel’s Practical Philosophy: Rational Agency as Ethical Life, Volume 53, Number 5, October 2010.
  3. “Pippin on Spectators and Participants,” National Humanities Center: On the Human, Spring 2010 (http://onthehuman.org/2010/04/participants_and_spectators/).
  4. “Habermas, Nietzsche, and Critical Theory,” New Nietzsche Studies (Summer 2010).
  5. “Reconstructing and Deconstructing the Ideals of Reason: Habermas and the Constructive Role of Narrative,” Journal of the Interdisciplinary Crossroad 1, no. 2 (August 2004).
  6. “On the Limits of Modern Political Communities,” The Southern Journal of Philosophy, Vol. XXX1X, 2001.
  7. “The Ontological Foundation of Environmental Ethics: Toward a Hermeneutic Conception of Life,” Current Studies in Phenomenology and Hermeneutics, Volume 1, No 3, Winter 2000.
  8. Review: The Inclusion of the Other: Essay in Political Theory, Ethics, Vol. 110, No. 4.
  9. Review: Habermas on Law and Democracy: Critical Exchanges, Ethics, Vol. 110, No. 3.
  10. Review: Heidegger and the Ground of Ethics: A Study of Mitsein, Ethics. Vol. 109, No 4.
  11. Review of “Habermas and the Unfinished Project of Modernity: Critical Essays on The Philosophical Discourse of Modernity,” Ethics, Vol. 109, No. 1.
  12. “Did Merleau-Ponty Have Two Concepts of The Body?” Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters Conference, Michigan State University, Lansing, March 1994. Michigan Academician, August 1995.

INVITED PAPERS:

  1. “Kantian and Kierkegaardian Paradoxes,” solicited manuscript for the Journal of Chinese Philosophy, 2013, in review.
  2. “Kierkegaard’s Epistemology: Critical Comment’s on Nathan Carson’s ‘Kierkegaard on Approximation Knowledge and Existential Truth: An Incompatibalist Interpretation,’” American Philosophical Association Pacific Division Meeting, Seattle, Washington, April 5th – 9th, 2012.
  3. “Merleau-Ponty and Lacan on Time,” Centre for Interdisciplinary Research, University of King’s College, Halifax, Nova Scotia, June 9th-12th, 2011.
  4. “The Roles of Mode and Content in the Creation of Rational Commitments,” Western Michigan University, April 15th, 2011.
  5. “The Semantics/Pragmatics Debate as interpreted by ‘German’ and ‘French’ Critical Theory,” Michigan Academy of Arts and Sciences, March 2nd, 2011, Alma College.
  6. “Teaching Authority and Other Paradoxes” (Lucasse Award Talk), Kalamazoo College, April 27th, 2010.
  7. “Hegel on Modern Agency: What We Do versus What Happens to Us,” Western Michigan University, April 16th, 2010.
  8. “Hegel’s Concept of Freedom: Time Runs Backward,” The Fountains, April 14th, 2010.
  9. “The Actualization of Communicative: Language as Ethical Life,” Grand Valley University, Philosophy Colloquium, March 13th, 2009.
  10. “What is a Theory of Meaning?” Michigan Academy of Science Arts and Letters Conference: Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, March 2008.
  11. “On the Limits of Modern Political Communities,” 2000 Spindel Conference: The Contemporary Relevance of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right, University of Memphis, September 21-23, 2000.
  12. “Teaching Ethics Through Multiple Readings of Othello: The Moor of Venice: From Aristotle and Kant to Judith Butler,” American Association of Philosophy Teachers,” Alverno College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 3 – 5, 2000.
  13. “From Dialogical Self to Chronotopic Body: A Dialogical Approach to Gender Identity, Moral Psychology and Heterosexual Melancholy,” First Annual Conference on the Dialogical Self, University of Nijmegen, Netherlands, June 22 – 16, 2000.
  14. “Dialogical Self and Chronotopic Embodiment: Infant Development, Multilayered Self-Placement and Clinical Archaeology,” First Annual Conference on the Dialogical Self, University of Nijmegen, Netherlands, June 22 – 16, 2000.
  15. “The Ontological Foundations of Environmental Ethics: Toward a Hermeneutic Conception of Life,” Twentieth Conference on the Life and Philosophy of Martin Heidegger: The Many Heideggers: Interpreting the Future of Heideggerian Studies, Denton, Texas, April 20 – 22, 2000.
  16. “Reconstructing and Deconstructing The Ideals of Reason: Habermas and the Constructive Role of Narrative,” American Philosophical Association, Pacific Division Meeting, Albuquerque, New Mexico, April 5 – 8, 2000.
  17. “Is There A ‘Teleological Suspension of the Ethical’? Absolute and Relative Standing in Interpersonal Relations,” The Michigan Academy Conference, Saginaw Valley College, Big Bay Michigan, March 10th11th, 2000.
  18. “Merleau-Ponty’s Heideggerian Turn: From Individual Bodies to Social Flesh,” The MidSouth Philosophy Conference, The University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, February 25th – 26th, 2000.
  19. “The Body Politic: Naturalizing Biological Citizenship and Philosophical Reservations,” University of Chicago Midwest Seminar, March 1998.
  20. “Binary Symbol Operations and Identity” (Psychology Division) Michigan Academy of Science Arts and Letters Conference: Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan, March 1997.
  21. “Metaphorical Truth” (Philosophy Division) Michigan Academy of Science Arts and Letters Conference: Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan, March 1997.
  22. “Feminist Motifs in the Paintings of Lynn Vought” (Women’s Studies) Michigan Academy of Science Arts and Letters Conference: Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan, March 1997.
  23. “Natural Born Levellers: A Kierkegaardian Critique of Post-modern Cinematography.” American Comparative Literature Association Conference: Between Philosophy and Cultural Studies, Notre Dame,
    Indiana, March 1996.
  24. “The Politics of Difference and Critical Social Theory” APA, Central Division Meeting, Chicago, Illinois, April 1996.
  25. “Intentionalist Semantics and Acoustic Reversibility” (Philosophy Division) Michigan Academy of Science Arts and Letters Conference: Alma, Michigan, March 1996.
  26. “Undamaged Identity or Undistorted Communication: Two Competing Ideals of Critical Theory?” (Political Science Division) Michigan Academy of Science Arts and Letters Conference: Alma, Michigan,
    March 1996.
  27. “Dialogical Conceptions of Self and Early Childhood Development” (Psychology Division) Michigan Academy of Science Arts and Letters Conference: Alma, Michigan, March 1996.
  28. “Where is Putnam Going?: A European Itinerary for Analytic Philosophy.” Michigan Academy Of Science, Arts and Letters Conference; Ferris State, Big Rapids, March 1995.
  29. “Is the Kohlberg-Gilligan Debate Over.” Michigan Academy Of Science, Arts and Letters Conference; Ferris State, Big Rapids, March 1995.
  30. “Feminizing Discourse: Reflections on Benhabib’s Feminist Appropriation of Discourse Ethics.” Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters Conference; Ferris State, Big Rapids, March 1995.
  31. “The Politics of Difference: Young on Habermas.” Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters Conference; Ferris State, Big Rapids, March 1995.
  32. “Embodiment as Metaphor: A Critique of Ricoeur’s The Rule of Metaphor. Thirtieth Conference in Modern Literature: “Aesthetics and Ideologies: An Interdisciplinary Conference”; Michigan State
    University, October 1994. (To be published, October 1995).
  33. “Did Merleau-Ponty Have Two Concepts of The Body?” Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters Conference, Michigan State University, Lansing, March 1994. Published In Michigan Academician,
    August 1995.
  34. “Illocutionary Binding Force: How Do Speech Acts Coordinate Interaction?.” Guest Speaker before Hope College Faculty, Holland, November 1993.
  35. “Habermas’ Concept of Aesthetic-Expressive Rationality.” Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters Conference, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, March 1993.
  36. “Teaching Kierkegaard’s Pseudonymous Writings.” Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters Conference, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, March 1993.
  37. “The Role of the Lifeworld in Transcendental Phenomenology” “Besprechung der wissenschaftlichen Arbeiten,” Fakultaet Philosophie, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universitaet, summer 1989.
  38. “The Complementarity of Communicative Action and Lifeworld: Searle and Habermas on the Internal Connection between Meaning and Validity” “Besprechung der wissenschaftlichen Arbeiten,” Fakultaet
    Philosophie, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universitaet, summer 1988.

INFORMAL PAPERS AND PRESENTATIONS:

  1. “Freedom, Trust, & Time Running Backward,” The Fountains, April 14th, 2010.
  2. “The Perception of Character,” Stetson Chapel, Kalamazoo College, Summer 1997.
  3. “The Struggle for Recognition,” Stetson Chapel, Kalamazoo College, Summer 1995.
  4. “The Future of Philosophy” Stetson Chapel, Kalamazoo College, May 1994.
  5. “Modern Identity Formation and the Politics of Difference” Faculty Study, Kalamazoo College, Summer 1994.
  6. “Knowledge, Power and Imagination,” Stetson Chapel, Kalamazoo College, October 1993.
  7. “Two False Paths, Blind Happiness and Empty Justice: Schillerian reflections on Post-Modernity.” Stetson Chapel, Kalamazoo College, Spring 1992.

ACADEMIC AWARDS AND GRANTS:

  • Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership: Faculty Project Grant, Art, Social Justice, and Critical Theory, Kalamazoo College, 2012/2013.
  • New Directions Initiative Grant, Great Lakes Colleges Association, 2012: Faculty Research Grant, Philosophy and Psychoanalysis.
  • Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership: Faculty Project Grant, Hegel’s Practical Philosophy: Rational Agency as Ethical Life, Kalamazoo College, 2010.
  • Florence J. Lucasse Lectureship for Excellence in Teaching, Kalamazoo College, 2010.
  • Mellon Foundation Course Development Grant, Kalamazoo College, 2008-2009.
  • Mellon Foundation Course Development Grant, Kalamazoo College, 2007-2008.
  • Faculty-Student Research Grant: The Critical Reception of Foucault’s Philosophy, Kalamazoo College, summer 2007.
  • Sabbatical Leave, Kalamazoo College, 2005-2006.
  • McGregor Grant, “Identity as Dialogue: Theories and Critiques,” 2001.
  • Center for International Programs, Travel Grant to Frankfurt, Germany and attendance at “First Annual Conference on the Dialogical Self,” University of Nijmegen, Netherlands, and German, 2000
  • Redfield Visiting Scholar, University of Chicago, 1997/1998.
  • Sabbatical Leave, Kalamazoo College, 1997.
  • Center for Western European Studies Course Development Grant, Kalamazoo College, Conceptions of Embodiment and Contemporary Political Theory, summer 1998.
  • Center For Western European Studies Course Development Grant, Kalamazoo College, The Philosophy and Psychology of Moral Development, Summer 1994.
  • Center for Western European Studies Course Development Grant, Kalamazoo College, Contemporary Aesthetics, Spring 1994.
  • Center for Western European Studies Course Development Grant, Kalamazoo College, Portraits of the Self in European Philosophy and Film, spring 1994.
  • Faculty Research Development Grant, Kalamazoo College, Fall Term 1993.
  • Faculty-Student Research Grant: Modern and Post-modern Aesthetic Theory, Kalamazoo College, summer 1993.
  • Center for Western European Studies Course Development Grant, Kalamazoo College, Contemporary Continental Philosophy, Spring 1993.
  • Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst Stipendium; Juergen Habermas academic supervisor. 1987- 1989
  • U.C.S.D. Dissertation Fellowship. 1987
  • U.C.S.D. Dissertation Travel Grant. 1986
  • U.C.B Education Abroad Program. 1987-1988

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION:

  • Steven Cox
  • Juergen Habermas
  • Lawrence Hinman
  • Frederick A. Olafson
  • Robert Pippin
  • Jonathan Saville
  • Avrum Stroll

COURSES TAUGHT:

  1. Analytic Philosophy and Science [W 2014]
  2. The Philosophy of Mind [S 2012]
  3. The Agency of Desire and Language [F 2010]
  4. 19th-Century Philosophy: Hegel’s Objective Idealism [S’93]
  5. 19th-Century Philosophy (Survey) [Taught yearly since 1994]
  6. Contemporary Continental Philosophy: Habermas’s Theory of Communicative Action [Su’91]
  7. Contemporary Continental Philosophy: The Frankfurt School of Social Criticism [Su’92/S’96/S’2004]
  8. Contemporary Continental Philosophy: Foucault’s Early and Later Works [Su’91]
  9. Contemporary Continental Philosophy: Philosophical Conceptions of The Body [S’97]
  10. The Conception of Embodiment in 20th-Century French Philosophy [S’00]
  11. Philosophy of Science [SP’91/SP’92/S’94]
  12. Philosophy of Language [S’93/S95/SP’97/W’99/W’00/W’03]
  13. Philosophy of Law [SP’95/W’96/W97/W’99/W’01/W’03]
  14. Philosophy And Literature [W’94/W’95/W’96/F’98/F’00/F’03/F’04]
  15. Social Philosophy: The Problem of Technology [W’91/SP’91]
  16. Existentialism (Survey) [W’94/W’95/S’96/W’99/W’00/W’01/W’02/W’03/W’04]
  17. Existentialism: Kierkegaard’s Pseudonymous Writings from 1843 to 1850. [W’92/W’93]
  18. Logic [W’92, S’92]
  19. Philosophy of Art [S’94/SP’96]
  20. Aesthetics And the Literary Work of Art [S’93]
  21. Writing Seminar: Critics of The Present Age [F92]
  22. The Just Society: Theories of Justice [SP’ 93/SP’94/S’95/]
  23. The Just Society: Models of Democracy [W’00/W’02/W’04]
  24. The Philosophy of the Social Sciences [S’97/SP’99/S01/S’03]
  25. Critical Social Theory: Habermas and Honneth (University of Chicago) [SP98]
  26. History of Analytic Philosophy [W’95]
  27. Ethics (University of Chicago Humanities Program) [SP’98]
  28. Environmental Ethics [SP’99/S01]
  29. Ecological Philosophy [SP’03]
  30. Dummett’s Philosophy of Language [W’96]
  31. Traditional and Contemporary Pragmatics [F’98]
  32. Modern Philosophy [SP’96]
  33. Introduction to Ethical Theory [F’99]
  34. Special Topics in Speech Act Theory [F 2000]
  35. Justification and Application in Morality and Law [F’99]
  36. John Searle: Mind, Language, Society, and Reason [F’08]
  37. The Paradoxes of Human Desire [F’06, F’14]

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

  • Philosophy of Language (emphasis upon the semantics/pragmatics)
  • Critical Social Theory (emphasis upon Habermas and Honneth)
  • 19th-Century Philosophy (emphasis upon Kant and Hegel)
  • Philosophical Psychology:
    • Moral Psychology
    • Psychoanalytic Theory
    • Narrative Psychology
  • Literary Criticism
  • Philosophical Conceptions of the Body