Ross Colebrook
CUNY Graduate Center, Department of Philosophy | 365 Fifth Ave., Rm. 7113
New York, NY 10016 | [email protected] | 208-899-2653
Areas of Specialization: Ethics, Experimental Philosophy, Moral Psychology
Areas of Competence: Philosophy of Cognitive Science/Mind, Philosophy of Language, Philosophy of Science, American Philosophy
ACADEMIC POSITIONS
2021 - 2022 University of Puget Sound, Department of Philosophy
Adjunct Instructor
2019 - Present Baruch College, City University of New York, Department of Philosophy
Adjunct Assistant Professor
2019 - 2020 St. Francis College (Brooklyn, NY), Department of Philosophy
Adjunct Instructor
2016 - 2019 Medgar Evers College, City University of New York, Department of Philosophy
Adjunct Assistant Professor
2016 - 2017 Hunter College, City University of New York, Department of Philosophy
Adjunct Instructor
2012 - 2016 Brooklyn College, City University of New York, Department of Philosophy
Graduate Teaching Fellow
EDUCATION
2018 Ph.D., CUNY Graduate Center
Dissertation: Toward a Science of Morals
Supervisor: Dr. Jesse Prinz
Abstract: Leveraging twentieth century philosophy of language, recent moral psychology, and experimental work, my dissertation argues for a naturalistic realist interpretation of ethics. Non-naturalist and antirealist interpretations of ethics rest on assumptions about the special nature of ethics, derived from illicit commitments to the trustworthiness of philosophers’ semantic intuitions about moral concepts. I argue that when we investigate moral concepts empirically, a new view of ethics is warranted: profoundly human, but objective and universal.
2011 M.A., Texas A&M University, Philosophy
Thesis: Stubborn Systems
Supervisor: Dr. Linda Radzik
2009 B.A., American University, Political Science & Philosophy, Magna Cum Laude.
Adviser: Dr. Jeffrey Reiman
PUBLICATIONS
Articles
2021 “The Irrationality of Folk Metaethics.” Philosophical Psychology 34:5 (2021): 684-720.2018
2018 “Objectivity” with Hagop Sarkissian. In: Shackelford T., Weekes-Shackelford V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer.
Reviews
2016 Review of Sophie Grace Chappelle’s Intuition, Theory, and Anti-Theory in Ethics. Oxford University Press (2015). Philosophical Forum 47:1, 47-54 (2016).
AWARDS AND HONORS
2015-2016 Writing Across the Curriculum Fellow, City University of New York
2015 Graduate Student Travel Stipend Award, American Philosophical Association.
2014 Provost Summer Research Grant, CUNY Graduate Center.
2011-2015 Enhanced Chancellor’s Fellowship, CUNY Graduate Center.
2009 Graduate Student Essay Prize, Texas A&M University.
2009-2010 Graduate Student Merit Fellowship, Texas A&M University.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS (* indicates invited talks; all other presentations are refereed)
2022 “Do the Folk Know What a Moral Judgment is?” Colloquium Paper, 2021 Pacific Division Meeting of the American Philosophical Association. Vancouver, BC.
2021 “Does Nobody Know What a Moral Judgment is?” 1st Annual European Experimental Philosophy Conference. Charles University. Prague, CZ.
2020 * “Some Surprising Ways that People Classify Obviously Moral Judgments as Non-Moral,” Group for Empirical Approaches to Morality and Society (G.E.M.S.). New York, NY.
2019 * “What's a Moral Issue, Anyway? Investigating Folk Categorization of Moral Issues,” Working Papers in Ethics and Moral Psychology. Mt. Sinai Bioethics Program. New York, NY.
2017 “Does it Matter Whether Morality is Objective?” Kent State University Graduate Conference in Philosophy, Kent State University, Kent, OH.
2016 “Does it Matter Whether Morality is Objective?” Poster Presentation, Society for Philosophy and Psychology Annual Meeting. Austin, TX.
2016 “On the Subject of Changing the Subject,” University of Connecticut Graduate Conference in Philosophy. University of Connecticut. Storrs, CT.
2016 “The Heroes and Villains of Evolutionary History.” Colloquium Paper, 2016 Eastern Division Meeting of the American Philosophical Association. Washington, DC.
2015 “The Changing the Subject Objection,” Arizona State University Graduate Conference in Philosophy. Arizona State University. Phoenix, AZ.
2015 * Commentary on Stephanie Leary’s “Non-Naturalism and Normative Necessities.” Speculative Ethics Forum. St. John’s University. New York, NY.
2015 “Ethical Reductionism and the Darwinian Dilemma,” Nature & Norms Graduate Conference. Johns Hopkins University. Baltimore, MD.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Baruch College, Adjunct Assistant Professor (Department of Philosophy)
PHI-3220/PSY-3220: Experimental Philosophy. Fall 2021, Fall 2022.
PHI-3150: Twentieth Century Philosophy. Spring 2021, Fall 2022.
PHI-4900: Special Topics (Moral Psychology). Fall 2021, Winter 2023.
PHI-4900: Special Topics (Metaethics). Summer 2021.
PHI-1100: Ethics and Critical Thinking (x24). Fall 2019 – Spring 2023
University of Puget Sound, Adjunct Instructor (Department of Philosophy)
PHIL-101-A: Introduction to Philosophy. Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Summer 2022 (2x)
The Northwest School, Virtual Humanities Teacher
HUM-12: Global Ethics. Spring 2021.
New York University, Preceptor (Department of Philosophy)
PHIL-UA 2: Great Works of Philosophy (Tim Maudlin). Spring 2021.
PHIL-UA 6: Global Ethics (Anthony Appiah). Spring 2020, Fall 2020.
CORE-UA 400: Texts & Ideas (Sharon Street). Fall 2019.
St. Francis College (Brooklyn, NY), Adjunct Instructor (Department of Philosophy)
PHI-1100: Logic & Argumentation. Spring 2019.
PHI-2310: American Philosophy. Spring 2019.
Medgar Evers College, Adjunct Assistant Professor (Department of Philosophy & Religion)
PHIL-101: Introduction to Logic (x15). Spring 2016 – Spring 2019.
PHIL-201: Ethics & Social Philosophy. Spring 2016.
Barnard College, Grader (Department of Philosophy)
PHIL-UN1001: Introduction to Philosophy (Kyle Driggers) (x3). Fall 2018 – Fall 2019.
Hunter College, Adjunct Lecturer (Department of Philosophy)
PHIL-104: Introduction to Ethics. Spring 2017, Summer 2017.
PHIL-101: Introduction to Philosophy. Fall 2016.
Baruch College, Teaching Assistant (Department of Philosophy)
PHI-1700: Global Ethics (Hagop Sarkissian). Fall 2015, Fall 2016.
Brooklyn College, Graduate Teaching Fellow (Department of Philosophy)
PHIL-2101: Introduction to Philosophy (x4). Spring 2014 – Spring 2015.
PHIL-3314: Moral Issues in Business (x6). Fall 2013 – Fall 2014.
CORC-1210: Knowledge, Reality, & Values (x5). Fall 2012 – Spring 2013.
City College of New York, Teaching Assistant (Department of Philosophy)
PHIL-102: Introduction to Philosophy (David Weissman). Fall 2011, Spring 2012.
Texas A&M University, Teaching Assistant (Department of Philosophy)
PHIL-251: Introduction to Philosophy (Benjamin McMyler). Spring 2011.
PHIL-205: Technology & Human Values (Gregory Pappas). Fall 2010.
SERVICE
Refereeing
2020 – 2021 Refereed a paper for Philosophical Psychology (x2).
2019 – 2020 Refereed a paper for American Philosophical Quarterly (x2).
2019 Reviewed a book for Oxford University Press.
2019 Refereed a paper for Australasian Journal of Philosophy (x2).
Service to the Profession
2015 – 2016 Served as Writing Across the Curriculum Fellow for Brooklyn College, organizing workshops for faculty on knowledge transfer, student engagement, and assignment scaffolding.
2015 Served as research assistant for Dr. John Greenwood (CUNY Graduate Center).
2013 Served as research assistant for Dr. Alberto Cordero (CUNY Graduate Center).
2011 Served as CUNY Graduate Center colloquium reception coordinator.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Society for Philosophy and Psychology, member, 2016 – 2017.
American Philosophical Association, member, 2012 – .
CUNY Experimental Philosophy Lab, member, 2011 – 2021.
LANGUAGES
English: native.
Spanish: conversationally proficient.
GRADUATE COURSEWORK
At New York University
2013 Moral Epistemology and the Self (Sharon Street).
2012 British Empiricism (Don Garrett).
At the CUNY Graduate Center
2013 Mental Qualities (David Rosenthal), Quine & Sellars (David Rosenthal).
2012 Scientific Representation (Arnold Koslow), Morality and the Self (Jesse Prinz), Philosophy of Mind (Jesse Prinz).
2011 British Moralists (Stefan Baumrin), Reference and Experimental Philosophy (Michael Devitt), Proseminar (Stephen Neale & Jesse Prinz).
At Texas A&M University
2011 Philosophy of Science (Roger Sansom), Metaethics (Linda Radzik).
2010 American Philosophy (Gregory Pappas), Self-Knowledge (Benjamin McMyler), Kant’s Third Critique (Kristi Sweet), Mathematical Logic (Christopher Menzel).
2009 Animal Ethics (Gary Varner), Fatalism and Determinism in Ancient Greek Philosophy (Robin Smith), John Dewey (John McDermott).
REFERENCES
Jesse Prinz (Dissertation Supervisor)
Distinguished Professor of Philosophy
CUNY Graduate Center
jesse[at]subcortex.com
Hagop Sarkissian
Associate Professor of Philosophy
CUNY Graduate Center
Chair, Department of Philosophy
Baruch College
hsarkissian[at]baruch.cuny.edu
Catherine Wilson
Professor of Philosophy
CUNY Graduate Center
University of York (UK)
catherine.wilson[at]york.ac.uk
Ariela Tubert
Professor of Philosophy
University of Puget Sound
atubert[at]pugetsound.edu
Justin Garson (Teaching Reference)
Associate Professor of Philosophy
Hunter College
jgarson[at]hunter.cuny.edu
CUNY Graduate Center, Department of Philosophy | 365 Fifth Ave., Rm. 7113
New York, NY 10016 | [email protected] | 208-899-2653
Areas of Specialization: Ethics, Experimental Philosophy, Moral Psychology
Areas of Competence: Philosophy of Cognitive Science/Mind, Philosophy of Language, Philosophy of Science, American Philosophy
ACADEMIC POSITIONS
2021 - 2022 University of Puget Sound, Department of Philosophy
Adjunct Instructor
2019 - Present Baruch College, City University of New York, Department of Philosophy
Adjunct Assistant Professor
2019 - 2020 St. Francis College (Brooklyn, NY), Department of Philosophy
Adjunct Instructor
2016 - 2019 Medgar Evers College, City University of New York, Department of Philosophy
Adjunct Assistant Professor
2016 - 2017 Hunter College, City University of New York, Department of Philosophy
Adjunct Instructor
2012 - 2016 Brooklyn College, City University of New York, Department of Philosophy
Graduate Teaching Fellow
EDUCATION
2018 Ph.D., CUNY Graduate Center
Dissertation: Toward a Science of Morals
Supervisor: Dr. Jesse Prinz
Abstract: Leveraging twentieth century philosophy of language, recent moral psychology, and experimental work, my dissertation argues for a naturalistic realist interpretation of ethics. Non-naturalist and antirealist interpretations of ethics rest on assumptions about the special nature of ethics, derived from illicit commitments to the trustworthiness of philosophers’ semantic intuitions about moral concepts. I argue that when we investigate moral concepts empirically, a new view of ethics is warranted: profoundly human, but objective and universal.
2011 M.A., Texas A&M University, Philosophy
Thesis: Stubborn Systems
Supervisor: Dr. Linda Radzik
2009 B.A., American University, Political Science & Philosophy, Magna Cum Laude.
Adviser: Dr. Jeffrey Reiman
PUBLICATIONS
Articles
2021 “The Irrationality of Folk Metaethics.” Philosophical Psychology 34:5 (2021): 684-720.2018
2018 “Objectivity” with Hagop Sarkissian. In: Shackelford T., Weekes-Shackelford V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer.
Reviews
2016 Review of Sophie Grace Chappelle’s Intuition, Theory, and Anti-Theory in Ethics. Oxford University Press (2015). Philosophical Forum 47:1, 47-54 (2016).
AWARDS AND HONORS
2015-2016 Writing Across the Curriculum Fellow, City University of New York
2015 Graduate Student Travel Stipend Award, American Philosophical Association.
2014 Provost Summer Research Grant, CUNY Graduate Center.
2011-2015 Enhanced Chancellor’s Fellowship, CUNY Graduate Center.
2009 Graduate Student Essay Prize, Texas A&M University.
2009-2010 Graduate Student Merit Fellowship, Texas A&M University.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS (* indicates invited talks; all other presentations are refereed)
2022 “Do the Folk Know What a Moral Judgment is?” Colloquium Paper, 2021 Pacific Division Meeting of the American Philosophical Association. Vancouver, BC.
2021 “Does Nobody Know What a Moral Judgment is?” 1st Annual European Experimental Philosophy Conference. Charles University. Prague, CZ.
2020 * “Some Surprising Ways that People Classify Obviously Moral Judgments as Non-Moral,” Group for Empirical Approaches to Morality and Society (G.E.M.S.). New York, NY.
2019 * “What's a Moral Issue, Anyway? Investigating Folk Categorization of Moral Issues,” Working Papers in Ethics and Moral Psychology. Mt. Sinai Bioethics Program. New York, NY.
2017 “Does it Matter Whether Morality is Objective?” Kent State University Graduate Conference in Philosophy, Kent State University, Kent, OH.
2016 “Does it Matter Whether Morality is Objective?” Poster Presentation, Society for Philosophy and Psychology Annual Meeting. Austin, TX.
2016 “On the Subject of Changing the Subject,” University of Connecticut Graduate Conference in Philosophy. University of Connecticut. Storrs, CT.
2016 “The Heroes and Villains of Evolutionary History.” Colloquium Paper, 2016 Eastern Division Meeting of the American Philosophical Association. Washington, DC.
2015 “The Changing the Subject Objection,” Arizona State University Graduate Conference in Philosophy. Arizona State University. Phoenix, AZ.
2015 * Commentary on Stephanie Leary’s “Non-Naturalism and Normative Necessities.” Speculative Ethics Forum. St. John’s University. New York, NY.
2015 “Ethical Reductionism and the Darwinian Dilemma,” Nature & Norms Graduate Conference. Johns Hopkins University. Baltimore, MD.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Baruch College, Adjunct Assistant Professor (Department of Philosophy)
PHI-3220/PSY-3220: Experimental Philosophy. Fall 2021, Fall 2022.
PHI-3150: Twentieth Century Philosophy. Spring 2021, Fall 2022.
PHI-4900: Special Topics (Moral Psychology). Fall 2021, Winter 2023.
PHI-4900: Special Topics (Metaethics). Summer 2021.
PHI-1100: Ethics and Critical Thinking (x24). Fall 2019 – Spring 2023
University of Puget Sound, Adjunct Instructor (Department of Philosophy)
PHIL-101-A: Introduction to Philosophy. Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Summer 2022 (2x)
The Northwest School, Virtual Humanities Teacher
HUM-12: Global Ethics. Spring 2021.
New York University, Preceptor (Department of Philosophy)
PHIL-UA 2: Great Works of Philosophy (Tim Maudlin). Spring 2021.
PHIL-UA 6: Global Ethics (Anthony Appiah). Spring 2020, Fall 2020.
CORE-UA 400: Texts & Ideas (Sharon Street). Fall 2019.
St. Francis College (Brooklyn, NY), Adjunct Instructor (Department of Philosophy)
PHI-1100: Logic & Argumentation. Spring 2019.
PHI-2310: American Philosophy. Spring 2019.
Medgar Evers College, Adjunct Assistant Professor (Department of Philosophy & Religion)
PHIL-101: Introduction to Logic (x15). Spring 2016 – Spring 2019.
PHIL-201: Ethics & Social Philosophy. Spring 2016.
Barnard College, Grader (Department of Philosophy)
PHIL-UN1001: Introduction to Philosophy (Kyle Driggers) (x3). Fall 2018 – Fall 2019.
Hunter College, Adjunct Lecturer (Department of Philosophy)
PHIL-104: Introduction to Ethics. Spring 2017, Summer 2017.
PHIL-101: Introduction to Philosophy. Fall 2016.
Baruch College, Teaching Assistant (Department of Philosophy)
PHI-1700: Global Ethics (Hagop Sarkissian). Fall 2015, Fall 2016.
Brooklyn College, Graduate Teaching Fellow (Department of Philosophy)
PHIL-2101: Introduction to Philosophy (x4). Spring 2014 – Spring 2015.
PHIL-3314: Moral Issues in Business (x6). Fall 2013 – Fall 2014.
CORC-1210: Knowledge, Reality, & Values (x5). Fall 2012 – Spring 2013.
City College of New York, Teaching Assistant (Department of Philosophy)
PHIL-102: Introduction to Philosophy (David Weissman). Fall 2011, Spring 2012.
Texas A&M University, Teaching Assistant (Department of Philosophy)
PHIL-251: Introduction to Philosophy (Benjamin McMyler). Spring 2011.
PHIL-205: Technology & Human Values (Gregory Pappas). Fall 2010.
SERVICE
Refereeing
2020 – 2021 Refereed a paper for Philosophical Psychology (x2).
2019 – 2020 Refereed a paper for American Philosophical Quarterly (x2).
2019 Reviewed a book for Oxford University Press.
2019 Refereed a paper for Australasian Journal of Philosophy (x2).
Service to the Profession
2015 – 2016 Served as Writing Across the Curriculum Fellow for Brooklyn College, organizing workshops for faculty on knowledge transfer, student engagement, and assignment scaffolding.
2015 Served as research assistant for Dr. John Greenwood (CUNY Graduate Center).
2013 Served as research assistant for Dr. Alberto Cordero (CUNY Graduate Center).
2011 Served as CUNY Graduate Center colloquium reception coordinator.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Society for Philosophy and Psychology, member, 2016 – 2017.
American Philosophical Association, member, 2012 – .
CUNY Experimental Philosophy Lab, member, 2011 – 2021.
LANGUAGES
English: native.
Spanish: conversationally proficient.
GRADUATE COURSEWORK
At New York University
2013 Moral Epistemology and the Self (Sharon Street).
2012 British Empiricism (Don Garrett).
At the CUNY Graduate Center
2013 Mental Qualities (David Rosenthal), Quine & Sellars (David Rosenthal).
2012 Scientific Representation (Arnold Koslow), Morality and the Self (Jesse Prinz), Philosophy of Mind (Jesse Prinz).
2011 British Moralists (Stefan Baumrin), Reference and Experimental Philosophy (Michael Devitt), Proseminar (Stephen Neale & Jesse Prinz).
At Texas A&M University
2011 Philosophy of Science (Roger Sansom), Metaethics (Linda Radzik).
2010 American Philosophy (Gregory Pappas), Self-Knowledge (Benjamin McMyler), Kant’s Third Critique (Kristi Sweet), Mathematical Logic (Christopher Menzel).
2009 Animal Ethics (Gary Varner), Fatalism and Determinism in Ancient Greek Philosophy (Robin Smith), John Dewey (John McDermott).
REFERENCES
Jesse Prinz (Dissertation Supervisor)
Distinguished Professor of Philosophy
CUNY Graduate Center
jesse[at]subcortex.com
Hagop Sarkissian
Associate Professor of Philosophy
CUNY Graduate Center
Chair, Department of Philosophy
Baruch College
hsarkissian[at]baruch.cuny.edu
Catherine Wilson
Professor of Philosophy
CUNY Graduate Center
University of York (UK)
catherine.wilson[at]york.ac.uk
Ariela Tubert
Professor of Philosophy
University of Puget Sound
atubert[at]pugetsound.edu
Justin Garson (Teaching Reference)
Associate Professor of Philosophy
Hunter College
jgarson[at]hunter.cuny.edu