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35Nietzsche and Heidegger on the Cartesian Atomism of ThoughtDissertation, . 2013.My dissertation has two main parts. In the first half, I draw out an underlying presupposition of Descartes' philosophy: what I term "atomism of thought." Descartes employs a radical procedure of doubt in order to show that the first principle of his philosophy, the cogito, is an unshakeable foundation of knowledge. In the dialogue that follows his dissemination of the Meditations, Descartes reveals that a whole set of concepts and rational principles innate in our minds are never doubted. These…Read more
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34Descartes’ Atomism of Thought: A Solution to the Puzzle about True and Immutable NaturesRes Cogitans 13 (2): 1-30. 2018.Central to Descartes’ philosophy is a view about immutable essences and eternal truths. After mentioning a Platonist account of recollection in Meditation V, Descartes declares that the ideas we have of mathematical notions “are not my invention but have their own true and immutable natures” (AT VII, 64/CSM II, 44).Descartes claims that other important philosophical notions, such as God, mind, body, and human free will (AT VII, 68; AT VIII-2, 348; AT III, 383; AT VII, 433, respectively), also ha…Read more
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24Nietzsche on Language and LogicEpoché: A Journal for the History of Philosophy 24 (1): 155-180. 2019.Recent commentators on Nietzsche’s philosophy have paid careful attention to his reflections on truth. While this issue has generated significant dispute, one prominent school of thought is in tacit agreement about the view of language that underlies Nietzschean truth. This view holds that certain linguistic entities can capture precise, distinct units of propositional content and static, rigidly designated conceptual meanings. A closer look at Nietzsche’s various analyses of language and logic …Read more
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22Knowing Thyself in a Contemporary ContextIn Hans Pedersen & Megan Altman (eds.), Horizons of Authenticity in Phenomenology, Existentialism, and Moral Psychology, Springer. 2015.
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Resolving the Question of Doubt: Geometrical Demonstration in the MeditationsSociety and Politics 6 (2): 43-62. 2012.The question of what Descartes did and did not doubt in the Meditations has received a significant amount of scholarly attention in recent years. The process of doubt in Meditation I gives one the impression of a rather extreme form of skepticism, while the responses Descartes offers in the Objections and Replies make it clear that there is in fact a whole background of presuppositions that are never doubted, including many that are never even entertained as possible candidates of doubt. This pa…Read more
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Dave Chappelle Says He Doesn't Mean It So Just Shut Up AlreadyIn Mark Ralkowski (ed.), Dave Chappelle and Philosophy, Popular Culture and Philosophy. 2021.
Steven Burgess
Benedictine University
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Benedictine UniversityAssistant Professor
Areas of Specialization
Friedrich Nietzsche |
19th Century German Philosophy |
20th Century Continental Philosophy |
Martin Heidegger |