Katherine Kirby, PhD Associate Professor of Philosophy and Director of Global Studies
Bio
Ph.D., Fordham University (Philosophy)
M.A., Fordham University (Philosophy)
B.A., Salisbury University (Philosophy)
Areas of Expertise:
Ethics (including the philosophical ethics tradition, metaethics, applied ethics), Emmanuel Levinas (French postmodern ethicist), Global Studies, Community-Engaged Learning (Working toward expertise in Critical Race Studies & Philosophy of Resistance)
Courses I Teach:
- Radical Love, Liberation, & Justice
- Power, Resistance, & Race
- The Art of Living, Aging, & Dying
- Truth & Propaganda
- Otherness and Marginalization
- Society, Identity, & Race
- Philosophy and the Good Life
- South Africa Study Trip: Resistance, Revolution, & Representation
- Guyana Study Trip: A Study in Solidarity
- Advanced Integrations: Equity Studies and Peace & Justice
My Saint Michael’s:
I’ve become a huge proponent of service-learning courses, wherein there is practical engagement with the community that breathes a certain life into the texts we read and discuss. I find that service-learning opportunities set the stage for a close philosophical (phenomenological) exploration of our lived experiences, especially in courses that challenge students to think about ethical or moral responsibility and engagement.
Research
Research Interests:
- Ethics (theoretical and applied ethics)
- Equity studies (including philosophical and interdisciplinary study of race, ethnicity, disability, age, poverty, gender, sexuality)
- Philosophy of oppression, resistance, and liberation
- Community-engaged learning
- Engaged Buddhism
- Global studies
Selected Awards + Recognition
- Norbert A. Kuntz Service Award, 2019
- MLK Society Appreciation Award, 2017
- Vermont Campus Compact Award for Excellence in Community-Based Teaching, 2011
Interview
Life Off Campus:
Outside Saint Michael’s I enjoy hikes, playing with my dog Abigail, movies, cooking, selected television shows, and spending time with friends and family.
Recent News
Recent Presentations
“The Body Speaks!: Reflections on Body Language and the Power & Limitations of Zoom in Transformative Pedagogy,” presented at the 15th Annual Meeting of the North American Levinas Society (Remote Video-Conference, July 20-23, 2020).
“’But I’m Not Racist!’: Denial, Fragility, & the Desire for Invulnerability,” presented at the 14th Annual Meeting of the North American Levinas Society (Drake University, July 23-26, 2019, Des Moines, Iowa).
“The Idolatry of Individualism & the Cultural Violence of Indifference,” presented at the Annual Meeting of the Concerned Philosophers for Peace (Loyola Univ., Oct. 22-24, 2015, Baltimore, Maryland).
Academic Conference Organization
“The Face and the Interface: Levinas, Teaching, and Technology,” Remote Video-Conference for the 15th annual meeting of the North American Levinas Society, Chair of organizing committee, July 20th-23rd, 2020.
Recent Publications
“Review: Intercultural Dialogue: In Search of Harmony in Diversity,” in Journal of Intercultural Studies, vol. 39, no. 1 (December 2017).
“Cultivating Responsible Global Citizenship: Philosophical Exploration & Service-Learning in Guyana,” in Experiential Learning in Philosophy (Routledge Studies in Contemporary Philosophy, 2016).
“Push, Pull, and Reverse: Self-Interest, Responsibility, and the Global Health Care Worker Shortage,” co-authored with Patricia Siplon, in Health Care Analysis, vol. 20, no. 2 (2012).