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    •
    Professor James Tartaglia

    Professor James Tartaglia

    Title
    Professor of Metaphysical Philosophy
    Location
    CBA2.014
    Role

    Academic Conduct Officer
    Contact me
    via email
    Phone
    +44 (0)1782 734315
    Email
    j.tartaglia@keele.ac.uk

    Biography

    After studying jazz saxophone at Berklee College of Music in Boston, U.S.A., I studied philosophy at University College London, where I graduated with a BA (hons.) in 1996, an M.Phil. (on intentionality) in 1998, and a Ph.D. (on consciousness) in 2001. In 2001-2 I was a Teaching Fellow at UCL and a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Birmingham. I then joined Keele Philosophy in 2002.

    My main interest is in understanding and enhancing awareness of the nature of philosophical inquiry, which I think centres on the question of the meaning of life; in reconnecting Philosophy with issues of natural human interest; and in re-positioning philosophy within a contemporary culture dominated by scientific understanding. My main works in this connection are Philosophy in a Meaningless Life (Bloomsbury 2016) and Gods and Titans (Bloomsbury 2020). In addition, I lead the band Continuum of Selves, which combines jazz music with philosophical ideas.

    For more information, including downloads, go to the 'Philosophy' part of my personal website. 
    To find out more about Jazz-Philosophy Fusion, and to hear samples, visit my band website.

    Research and scholarship

    My research specialisms are: 

    • Philosophy of Mind
    • Metaphilosophy
    • Metaphysics
    • The philosophy of Richard Rorty
    • Philosophy of Technology

    For downloads of my publications, go to the 'Philosophy' part of my personal website.

    I am Associate Editor of the journal, Human Affairs.

    Teaching

    Undergraduate Teaching

    • 10 Problems of Philosophy (Year 1)
    • Philosophy of Mind (Year 2)
    • Metaphysics (Year 3)
    • Rorty and the Mirror of Nature (Year 3)
    Consciousness and the great philosophers Philosophy in a meaningless life book Richard Rorty Early Philosophical papers
    Continuum of selves Jazz-Philosophy fusion Rorty and the Mirror of Nature Rorty book cover
    James Tartaglia ‌ James Tartaglia ‌  

    Selected Publications

    • Maoilearca LCÓ and Tartaglia J. 2021. A dialogue on / In performance philosophy. Human Affairs, 370-379, vol. 31(4). doi> link> full text>
    • Leach S and Tartaglia J. 2021. How philosophy is presented: An introduction. Human Affairs, 361-369, vol. 31(4). link> doi> link> full text>
    • Tartaglia J. 2020. Philosophy in a Technological World Gods and Titans. (1st ed.). Bloomsbury Academic. link> doi> link> full text>
    • Tartaglia J and Leach S. 2019. Introduction: Life’s meaning. Human Affairs, 359-362, vol. 29(4). doi> link>
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2018. Better Git It In Your Soul [translated into Polish as 'Lepiej poczuj to w swej duszy']. Filozofuj!. full text>

    Full Publications Listshow

    Books

    • Tartaglia J. 2020. Philosophy in a Technological World Gods and Titans. (1st ed.). Bloomsbury Academic. link> doi> link> full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF and Leach S (Eds.). 2018. The Meaning of Life and the Great Philosophers. Routledge. doi> link>
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2016. Philosophy in a Meaningless Life: A System of Nihilism, Consciousness and Reality. (1st ed.). Bloomsbury. doi> link> full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF and Leach S (Eds.). 2016. Consciousness and the Great Philosophers: What would they have said about our Mind-Body Problem?. Routledge.
    • Tartaglia JPF and Leach S (Eds.). 2016. Consciousness and the Great Philosophers: What would they have said about our Mind-Body Problem?. Routledge.
    • Rorty R. Tartaglia JPF and Leach S (Eds.). 2013. Mind, Language, and Metaphilosophy: Early Philosophical Papers. UK: Cambridge University Press.
    • tartaglia JPF (Ed.). 2009. Richard Rorty: Critical Assessments of Leading Philosophers. Routledge.
    • tartaglia JPF (Ed.). 2009. Richard Rorty: Critical Assessments of Leading Philosophers. Routledge.
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2007. Rorty and the Mirror of Nature. London: Routledge.
    • Tartaglia J and Llanera T. A Defence of Nihilism. (5 vols.). Routledge. link> doi> link> full text>
    • Nihilism and the Meaning of Life: A Philosophical Dialogue with James Tartaglia. (21 vols.). Saitama, Japan: Journal of Philosophy of Life. full text>

    Journal Articles

    • Maoilearca LCÓ and Tartaglia J. 2021. A dialogue on / In performance philosophy. Human Affairs, 370-379, vol. 31(4). doi> link> full text>
    • Leach S and Tartaglia J. 2021. How philosophy is presented: An introduction. Human Affairs, 361-369, vol. 31(4). link> doi> link> full text>
    • Tartaglia J and Leach S. 2019. Introduction: Life’s meaning. Human Affairs, 359-362, vol. 29(4). doi> link>
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2018. Better Git It In Your Soul [translated into Polish as 'Lepiej poczuj to w swej duszy']. Filozofuj!. full text>
    • Leach S and Tartaglia J. 2018. The Original Meaning of Life. Philosophy Now. link>
    • Leach S and Tartaglia J. 2018. The Original Meaning of Life. Philosophy Now. link>
    • Tartaglia JPF. REPLY TO BJØRN RAMBERG. Journal of Philosophy of Life. full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. Nihilism and the Meaning of Life. Journal of Philosophy of Life, vol. 7(1). full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. Reply to Adam Balmer. Journal of Philosophy of Life. full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. Reply to Alan Malachowski. Journal of Philosophy of Life. full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. Reply to Brooke Alan Trisel. Journal of Philosophy of Life. full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. Reply to Damian Veal. Journal of Philosophy of Life. full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. Reply to J.J. Valberg. Journal of Philosophy of Life. full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. Reply to Philip Goff. Journal of Philosophy of Life. full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. Reply to Ronald A. Kuipers. Journal of Philosophy of Life. full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. Reply to Sho Yamaguchi. Journal of Philosophy of Life. full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. Reply to Tracy Llanera. Journal of Philosophy of Life. full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2017. The Sound of Philosophy. Philosophy Now, 26-29. full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2016. Jazz-Philosophy Fusion. Performance Philosophy, 99-114, vol. 2(1). link> full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2016. What is at Stake in Illusionism?. Journal of Consciousness Studies. full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. Rorty's Ambivalent Relationship with Kant. Contemporary Pragmatism, 298-318, vol. 13(3). doi> link> full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2016. Transculturalism and the Meaning of Life. Humanities, vol. 5(2). doi> link> full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. Response to Darragh Byrne's "Do Phenomenal Concepts Misrepresent?”. Philosophical Psychology, 679-681, vol. 29(5). doi> link> full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. Is Philosophy All About the Meaning of Life?. Metaphilosophy, 283-303, vol. 47(2). doi> link> full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2016. What is at Stake in Illusionism?. Journal of Consciousness Studies, 236-255, vol. 23(11-12). link> full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. Review of Todd May's A Significant Life. TLS - The Times Literary Supplement. full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2015. Metz's Quest for the Holy Grail. Journal of the Philosophy of Life. full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2015. Czy jesteśmy tylko mózgami? [Are we just brains?]. Filozofuj!, 6-8, vol. 1(4). full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2015. O co naprawę chodzi w pytaniu o sens życia [The Real Question of the Meaning of Life]. Filozofuj!, vol. 1(2). full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2013. Conceptualizing Physical Consciousness. Philosophical Psychology, 817-838, vol. 26(6). doi>
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2014. Rorty's Thesis of the Cultural Specificity of Philosophy. Philosophy East and West: a quarterly of comparative philosophy, 1016-1036, vol. 65(4). full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2012. Does Rorty's Pragmatism Undermine Itself?. European Journal of Pragmatism and American Philosophy, 284-301, vol. 4(1).
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2012. Horizons, PIOs, and Bad Faith. Philosophy and Technology, 345-361, vol. 25(3). doi>
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2011. Review of Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature: Thirtieth Anniversary Edition by Richard Rorty. European Journal of Philosophy, 165-169, vol. 19(1).
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2011. Philosophy Between Science and Religion. Papers in Philosophy, 224-241, vol. 12(2).
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2010. Did Rorty's Pragmatism Have Foundations?. International Journal of Philosophical Studies, 607-627, vol. 18(5). doi>
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2009. The History of the Concept of Mind, Volume 2 by Paul Macdonald. British Journal for the History of Philosophy, 225-229, vol. 1(17).
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2008. Consciousness, Intentionality, and the mark of the mental: Rorty's challenge. The Monist, 324-346, vol. 91(2). doi>
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2005. From passions to emotions by Thomas Dixon. British Journal for the History of Philosophy, 811-814, vol. 13(4).
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2005. Review of Richard Rorty, eds. C. Guignon and D. Hiley, and Richard Rorty by Alan Malachowski. Philosophical Books, 79-81, vol. 46(1).
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2004. The history of mind. British Journal for the History of Philosophy, 743-752, vol. 12(4). doi>
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2003. "Richard Rorty: critical dialogues", by M Festerstein and S Thompson (Eds). Philosophical Books, 168-171, vol. 44(2).
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2003. "Rorty and his critics", by R Brandom (Ed). Philosophical Books, 168-171, vol. 44(2).
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2001. Critical study of Stephen Priest's Merleau-Ponty. Nous, 317-323, vol. 35(2).
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2000. Review of Truth and Progress: Philosophical Papers, volume 3, by Richard Rorty. European Journal of Philosophy, 393-396, vol. 8(3).

    Chapters

    • Tartaglia JPF. 2016. Rorty and the Problem of Consciousness. In Consciousness and the Great Philosophers: What would they have said about our Mind-Body Problem?. Routledge. full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2016. Rorty and the Problem of Consciousness. In Consciousness and the Great Philosophers: What would they have said about our Mind-Body Problem?. Routledge. full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2016. Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature. In A Companion to Rorty. Malachowski A (Ed.). Wiley. full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2016. Rorty's Philosophy of Consciousness. In A Companion to Rorty. Malachowski A (Ed.). Wiley. full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2009. Are Causal Pressures a part of the Way the World Is. In Richard Rorty: Critical Assessments of Leading Philosophers. (vol. 1). Routledge.
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2009. Are Causal Pressures a part of the Way the World Is. In Richard Rorty: Critical Assessments of Leading Philosophers. (vol. 1). Routledge.
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2006. Metaphilosophy. In The continuum encyclopedia of British philosophy. Grayling AC, Pyle A, Goulder N (Eds.). (vol. III). Bristol: Thoemmes Continuum.
    • Tartaglia JPF. 2005. J.J.C. Smart, U.T. Place, B.A. Farrell. In The dictionary of twentieth-century British philosophers. Brown SC (Ed.). Thoemmes Pr.
    • Tartaglia J. 2005. Richard Rorty. In Richard Rorty by Alan Malachowski. Guignon C and Hiley D (Eds.). (vol. 46:1). Philosophical Books.
    • Tartaglia JPF. Ayer and the Meaning of Life. In The Meaning of Life and the Great Philosophers. Tartaglia J and Leach S (Eds.). Routledge. full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. Ayer and the Meaning of Life. In The Meaning of Life and the Great Philosophers. Tartaglia J and Leach S (Eds.). Routledge. full text>
    • Tartaglia J. Gyekye and Contemporary Idealism. In Conversations on African Philosophy of Mind, Consciousness and AI. Attoe A, Nweke V, Segun S (Eds.). Springer. full text>
    • Tartaglia JPF. Technology and Rorty's Cultural Politics. In A Companion to Richard Rorty. Müller M (Ed.). New York: Springer. full text>
    • Leach S and Tartaglia J. The Blue Flower. In The Meaning of Life and the Great Philosophers. Tartaglia JPF (Ed.). Routledge. full text>
    • Leach S and Tartaglia J. The Blue Flower. In The Meaning of Life and the Great Philosophers. Tartaglia JPF (Ed.). Routledge. full text>
    • Leach S and Tartaglia J. The Blue Flower. In The Meaning of Life and the Great Philosophers. Tartaglia JPF (Ed.). Routledge. full text>

    PhD Supervision

    I am available for supervision in all areas of philosophy of mind, especially consciousness and physicalism; metaphilosophy, especially the nature and subject-matter of philosophy; most areas of metaphysics, especially the meaning of life, freedom, personal identity, time, universals, and truth; and I may be interested in some projects in the history of philosophy, continental philosophy or non-Western philosophy. Plus anything on Richard Rorty.

    Current Research Students

    PhD

    • Kieran Brayford (Philosophy of Consciousness)
    • Sila Ozdemir (Philosophy of Technology)
    • Jacob Fox (Meaning of Life)
    • Karl Wilson (Illusionism)

    Master's

    • Lugh Corcoran (Philosophy of Measurement)

    Further information is available about studying at the School of Social, Political and Global Studies, including funding available for pursuing a doctoral research degree.

    School of Social, Political and Global Studies
    Chancellor's Building CBA1.039
    Keele University
    Staffordshire, ST5 5BG
    Tel: +44 (0) 1782 733192

    Undergraduate and postgraduate enquiries
    Tel: +44 (0) 1782 734346
    Email: spgs.office@keele.ac.uk