Stefan S. Sencerz
TEXAS A&M - A & H / Philosophy
stefan.sencerz@tamucc.edu; 361-835-2392
(updated January 31, 2009)

EDUCATION

  • Ph.D. Philosophy University of Rochester 1992
  • M.A. Philosophy University of Rochester 1987 

PH. D. THESIS

  • Moral Intuitions, Moral Facts, and Justification in Ethics

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION

  • Moral Philosophy, Applied Ethics, Epistemology, Descartes

AREAS OF COMPETENCE

  • Eastern Philosophy, Metaphysics, History of Modern, Philosophy of Language

PAPERS PUBLISHED

  • "Human Rights and Children's Rights: Philosophical Analysis and Ethical Justification" (Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Children Rights and Education in XXI century (September, 2008)
  • "Moral Facts and the Problem of Justification in Ethics", Australasian Journal of Philosophy, 73:3, September 1995, 368-388.
  • "Moral Conversions, Moral Feelings, and Evidence for Moral Facts", Journal of Social Philosophy, 26:2, Fall 1995.
  • "Personal Goodness and Moral Facts", Journal of Philosophical Research, 20, 1995, 235-252.
  • "Empiricism in Science and Ethics", Southern Journal of Philosophy, 31:4, 1993, 449-470.
  • "Descartes on Sensations and ‘Animal' Minds", Philosophical Papers, 19:2, 1990, 119-141.
  • "On the Moral Relevance of Immortal Souls", Southern Journal of Philosophy, 26, 1988, 351-68.
  • "Moral Intuitions and Justification in Ethics", Philosophical Studies, 50, 1986, 77-95.

REVIEWS

  • D.A. Dombrowski, The Philosophy of Vegetarianism (1984), Cross Currents, 36:1, Spring 1986.
  • M. Midgley, Animals and Why They Matter (1984), Cross Currents, 36:1, Spring 1986. 

POEMS PUBLISHED

MAIN PUBLICATIONS IN POLISH AND EDITORIAL WORK (a full list available upon request)

  • Six papers on animal rights and environmental ethics; a selected and annotated bibliography concerning obligations to animals and animal rights; a number of shorter discussion pieces.
  • A contributing editor of two anthologies about animal rights.
  • A contributing editor to books on Zen Buddhism in Eastern and Western contexts, in particular to Philip Kapleau's, The Three Pillars of Zen.
  • The scientific editor of R.M. Hare, Platon (Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Michal Urbanski, 1996)

SELECTED CONFERENCE PAPERS (a full list available upon request)

  • "Tolerance in a Future Pluralistic Culture" (Presented at the 2nd International Conference on Children Rights and Education in XXI century, Summer 2006, TAMU-CC)
  • "Teaching Professional Ethics," presented with Andy Piker and Don Berkich at 5th Annual International Conference on Ethics Across the Curriculum, October 23-26, 2003, Austin, TX (co-organized by St. Edwards University), (refereed).
  • "The value of life, terminal cases, and the doctrine of extraordinary means," the Conference in Medical Ethics organized by the Center for Bio-Ethics, University of Minnesota, April 4-6th, 2002, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (refereed).
  • "Who Can Dwell on the Moral Twin Earth -- A Challenge to Naturalistic Realism," presented for the American Philosophical Association, Central Division, Meetings, Chicago, April 27, 2002 (refereed).
  • "Naturalism in Ethics" (and invited symposium paper, presented for American Philosophical Association in Minneapolis, May 2001)
  • "The Concept of Morality", Southern Texas Philosophical Association (October 1999)
  • "Traditional View of Euthanasia and the Doctrine of Extraordinary Means", American Philosophical Association, Eastern Division Meetings (December 1998); also presented for Southern Texas Philosophical Association (October 1997)
  • "A Plethora of Naturalisms, Or What Should We Count as Nature (and Why)?", a colloquium paper presented for the Philosophy Department, TAMU-- College Station.
  • "‘Intentional Death' Accounts of Suicide and the Problem of Accidental Killing", American Philosophical Association, Central Division Meetings (May 1998)
  • "Moral Facts and Epistemic Goals: Justification and Convergence in Ethics", American Philosophical Association, Pacific Division Meetings (March 1995)
  • "Moral Feelings as Evidence For Moral Facts", American Philosophical Association, Central Division Meetings (April 1995)
  • "Explanations and Prior Commitments in Value Theory", NEH Institute on Moral Knowledge (Dartmouth College; October 1994)
  • "A Plethora of Ethical Naturalisms", American Philosophical Association, Central Division Meetings (April 1993); NEH Institute on Naturalism (Lincoln, NE; Summer 1993)
  • "Arnaud and Malebranche on Intentionality and the Value of Pleasures", commentary at a conference on seventeenth and eighteenth century philosophy (University of Iowa, 1989)
  • "Descartes on ‘Direct' and ‘Reflective' Thoughts", American Philosophical Association, Pacific Meeting (March 1988)

OTHER WORK IN PROGRESS

  • "Traditional View of Euthanasia and the Doctrine of Extraordinary Means", under consideration for the Journal of Value Inquiry
  • "Moorean Non-naturalism"
  • "Explanations and Prior Commitments in Value Theory"

NATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS

  • Fall 1994 Institute on Moral Knowledge (Dartmouth College, NH)
  • Summer 1993 National Endowment for Humanities, Institute on Naturalism (University of Nebraska Lincoln)
  • Summer 1990 Visiting Scholar Fellowship (Social Philosophy and Policy Center, Bowling Green State University, OH)

OTHER FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS

  • University of Rochester:
    • 1988-89 -- R.N. Ball Dissertation Fellowship
    • 1984-88 -- University Fellowship (five years)
    • 1987-88 -- First prize in the Graduate Student Essay Contest: "On the Moral Relevance of Immortal Souls"
    • 1985-86 -- First prize in the Graduate Student Essay Contest: "Descartes on Sensations and 'Animal' Minds" 
  • SUNY at Stony Brook
    • 1983-84 -- Visiting Scholar Fellowship
  • TAMU-CC, 2001-2
    • Faculty Research Enhancement Grant that allowed me to develop a paper on Naturalism in Ethics, presented for American Philosophical Association)

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

  • A referee for Australasian Journal of Philosophy (1999)
  • American Association for Professional Ethics, Chair of the session (February 1998)
  • A referee for Journal of Philosophical Research (1998)
  • American Philosophical Association, Central Division Meetings, Chair of the session (April 1995)
  • Medical ethics workshop for the students of the Medical School, Wayne State University (1994)
  • A referee for Theory and Decision (1990)
  • Spindel Philosophy Conference on Moral Epistemology, Memphis State University, Chair of the session (October 1990)

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

  • Texas A&M University -- 1996-2000 (Assistant Professor), 2000-02 (Associate Professor without tenure) , 2002-current (Associate Professor with tenure)
  • Wayne State University - 1992-96 (Lecturer)
  • Indiana University East - 1991-92 (Lecturer)
  • Bowling Green State University - 1989-91 (Lecturer)
  • University of Rochester - 1984-89 (Instructor and Teaching Assistant)

COURSES TAUGHT