Dr. Courtney Morris

I am most interested in the question of what we are doing when we do philosophy - “meta-philosophy.” Meta-philosophical questions, like what philosophy is (or is not), what the difference is between philosophy and literature, or who counts as a philosopher (and who does not), naturally touch on pedagogical questions like how we should teach philosophy and what the proper aims of a philosophy class are.  

Because my background is in the history of philosophy, I'm interested in that history's answers to such questions. There are many, often tucked in with other types of discussions. Indeed, I've uncovered quite passionate meta-philosophical views that offer real insight into our modern-day classrooms and that can inform us about how to develop our students into philosophers rather than people who merely copy and regurgitate information. Such research thus promises to enrich and enliven the philosophical lives of our students.  

Hence, my work often stands at the intersection of the history of philosophy, the philosophy of education, and the scholarship of teaching and learning.

I grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, where I did my undergraduate degrees in English and philosophy at the University of Utah. I completed a master’s degree in English at SUNY Buffalo, a master’s degree in philosophy at University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and my Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of California, Riverside, where I wrote my dissertation on Kant's metaphysics.

I serve as the Philosophy Program director for the Department of Law and Philosophy and an editorial board member for West Point Press. I also serve as the OIC for the West Point Humanist Association. I regularly teach Philosophy and Ethical Reasoning, Philosophical Methods, Reality and Knowledge, Kant and 19th Century Philosophy, 17th and 18th Century Philosophy, and Logic.

Curriculum vitae is available upon request.