I primarily work on environmental philosophy, Continental philosophy, Spinoza, and feminist and queer theory, focusing on the ethics of material, social and political transformation. I am particularly interested in thinking ethical questions through immanence: that is, considering how individuals and communities are rendered more or less capable of flourishing on the basis of how they affect and are affected by one another.
Much of my research extends this inquiry to ecology. Turning to Spinoza, I develop what I call an “immanent ecological ethics” that bases its normative claims in how ecosystemic bodies affect one another’s flourishing, i…
I primarily work on environmental philosophy, Continental philosophy, Spinoza, and feminist and queer theory, focusing on the ethics of material, social and political transformation. I am particularly interested in thinking ethical questions through immanence: that is, considering how individuals and communities are rendered more or less capable of flourishing on the basis of how they affect and are affected by one another.
Much of my research extends this inquiry to ecology. Turning to Spinoza, I develop what I call an “immanent ecological ethics” that bases its normative claims in how ecosystemic bodies affect one another’s flourishing, in line with the ethical task of aligning human striving with ecological coexistence.
Following the birth of our daughter at the peak of the pandemic in 2021, I departed academia to put down roots in coastal southern Maine (unceded Wabanaki territory). Find more of my current work at olistephanophd.com.
OLI STEPHANO C.V.
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
Environmental philosophy Feminist philosophy Spinoza 19th-21st century Continental philosophy
AREAS OF COMPETENCE
Gender studies and queer theory Ethics Social and political philosophy
EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Philosophy with a certificate in Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
M.A. in Philosophy The New School, New York, NY
B.A. in Philosophy with a minor in Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY General and departmental honors
Study Abroad Program in Philosophy University College Dublin, Ireland
BOOK CHAPTERS 2023 “Sexual Difference as Qualitative Becoming,” in Mary Rawlinson and James Sares, eds., What is Sexual Difference? Thinking Sex and Being with Irigaray. New York: Columbia University Press.
JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS 2026 “Spinoza, Akrasia, and Ecology: Perception, Motivation and Environmental Akrasia.” Nouveaux Cahiers Spinoza, invited article submitted for initial review.
2021 "Immanence and Differentiation in Spinoza." Síntesis, thematic issue on "Matters," Vol. 4:2. 2021 [Redacted for anonymous review], submitted for initial review.
2020 [Redacted for anonymous review], submitted for initial review.
2019 “Human Power and Ecological Flourishing: Refiguring Right and Power with Spinoza.” SubStance, Vol. 48:2.
2018 “Irreducibility and (Trans) Sexual Difference.” Hypatia, Vol. 33:4.1.
2017 “Spinoza, Ecology, and Immanent Ethics: Beside Moral Considerability.” Environmental Philosophy, Vol. 14:2.
2015 “Strange Intimacies.” Assuming Gender, Vol. 5:1.
2011 “Earthly Amor Fati: On Overcoming and Affirmation.” Canon: The Interdisciplinary Student- Run Journal at the New School for Social Research.
2010 “Deleuze and Guattari: Immaculate Conception, Hidden Emissions.” Co-written with Dionysos Mattison. Canon.
2010 “Becoming-Receptive, or, How to Give It Up Without Giving Up.” Canon.
PRESENTATIONS 2020 “On Being Beheld: Embodiment, Intelligibility, and the Communal Avowal of Trans First-Person Authority.” PhiloSOPHIA annual meeting, Nashville, TN. Cancelled due to Covid-19.
2019 “Becoming Receptive: A Queer Erotic Ethics of Intimacy.” Feminist Ethics and Social Theory Association annual meeting, Clearwater Beach, FL.
2019 “Refiguring Power and Right with Spinoza.” American Philosophical Association, Eastern Division annual meeting, New York, NY.
2018 “Irreducibility and (Trans) Sexual Difference.” Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy annual meeting, State College, PA.
2018 “Human Power and Ecological Flourishing.” International Association for Environmental Philosophy annual meeting, State College, PA.
2018 “What Can A River Do? Spinoza, Immanent Ethics, and Indigenous-Led Ecological Struggle Against DAPL.” PhiloSOPHIA annual meeting, Richmond, VA.
2017 “Irigaray, Bergson, and the Qualitative Becoming of Sexual Difference.” Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy annual meeting, Memphis, TN.
2017 “Spinozist Ethics and ‘Water is Life’: Working Beside Moral Considerability.” International Association for Environmental Philosophy annual meeting, Memphis, TN.
2017 “Irreducibility and (Trans)Sexual Difference.” The Futures of Queer Theory conference, The New School, New York, NY.
2017 “Affect, Ethics, and Ecology.” PhiloSOPHIA annual meeting, Boca Raton, FL.
2015 “Spinoza’s Immanent Ontology.” International Association for Environmental Philosophy annual meeting, Atlanta, GA.
2015 “Non-Allergic Relations: Thinking the Other with Levinas and Derrida.” New Frontiers in Ethics conference, University of Toronto Centre for Ethics.
2010 “Messianism and Memory.” Derrida and America conference, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
2009 “Jewish and Pagan Mysticism.” Queer Shabbaton, Jewish Community Center, New York, NY.
2007 “Monster Ethics: Beyond No Future.” Queer CUNY VIII: The Twilight of Queerness?, Hunter College, New York, NY.
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
Visiting Assistant Professor, Colby College 2020-2021 Environmental Ethics Feminist Philosophies Nature, Sex, and Power: New Materialisms Philosophical Anthropology Visiting Assistant Professor, Bard College 2017-2020 Introduction to Feminist Ethics Environmental Ethics Spinoza’s Ethics Nature, Sex, and Power: New Materialisms First Year Seminar: What is Political Freedom First Year Seminar: The Self in the World Adjunct Assistant Professor, Vassar College 2018-2019 Philosophical Questions: Personhood Philosophical & Contemporary Issues: Sexual Ethics
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Fordham University 2017 Philosophical Ethics
Instructor, Western Connecticut State University 2016 Environmental Philosophy
Instructor, Stony Brook University 2015-2016 Concepts of the Person 2014-2015 Politics and Society 2013-2014 Moral Reasoning
Teaching Assistant, Stony Brook University 2013 Historical Introduction to Western Philosophy 2012 Existentialism 2012 Philosophy of Law 2011 Politics and Society
ACADEMIC HONORS 2011-2016 W. Burghardt Turner Fellowship, Stony Brook University 2011-2015 Turner Summer Research grants, Stony Brook University 2011-2016 University tuition scholarship and teaching assistantship, Stony Brook University 2009-2011 University tuition scholarship, The New School 2007 University and departmental honors, Vassar College 2007 Philip Nochlin Prize for outstanding senior thesis in philosophy, Vassar College
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE 2020-2021 Academic advising and major recruitment, Colby College 2017-2021 Senior Project advising, Bard College 2020 Sustainability Ambassador, Bard College 2020 Session chair, American Philosophical Association, Eastern Division 2018-2021 Reviewer, Hypatia: A Journal of Feminist Philosophy 2017-2020 Academic advising and major recruitment, Bard College 2018-2019 Academic advising and major recruitment, Vassar College 2017-2019 Moderation board advising, Bard College 2017-2019 Trans Inclusivity Working Group, Bard College
LANGUAGE SKILLS French Proficiency in reading and translating
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS American Philosophical Association International Association for Environmental Philosophy Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy The Association for Feminist Ethics and Social Theory North American Spinoza Society