Carolyn Culbertson Profile

• PhD, Philosophy, University of Oregon
• MA, Philosophy, University of Oregon
• BA, Philosophy, Oglethorpe University

• Continental Philosophy (esp. Phenomenology and Hermeneutics)
• Philosophy of Language
• Social-Political Philosophy (esp. Feminist Philosophy)
• Social Epistemology

Dr. Culbertson’s research focuses on the role of language in the formation of worldhood, understanding, and identity and on experiences of linguistic alienation that arise in light of language’s formative role in our lives. In her recent book, Words Underway: Continental Philosophy of Language (Rowman and Littlefield International, 2019), she shows these themes are essential to the development of twentieth-century Continental philosophy and why they remain important for conversations today. Her current research focuses on the concept of dialogue in philosophical hermeneutics and, more broadly, on the role of dialogue in understanding. As a teacher, she is committed to a pedagogical practice that puts students into meaningful dialogue with texts from past and present and with other students in the classroom. She brings this approach to every class that she teaches, be it Ancient Philosophy or Feminist Philosophy.

Dr. Culbertson regularly teaches courses in Ancient Philosophy, Philosophy of Human Communication, Feminist Philosophy, Self in Eastern Philosophy, and Introduction to Philosophy. She has also taught Major Figures courses on philosophers like Plato, Hans-Georg Gadamer, and Judith Butler and Special Topics courses on themes like The Ethics of Memory.

Books:

• Culbertson, Carolyn. Words Underway: Continental Philosophy of Language. London: Rowman and Littlefield International, 2019. [Link here]

Journal Articles and Book Chapters:

• Culbertson, Carolyn. “The Genuine Possibility of Being-with: Watsuji, Heidegger, and the Primacy of Betweenness.” Comparative and Continental Philosophy 11, no. 1 (2019).
• Culbertson, Carolyn. “Walker Percy, Phenomenology, and the Mystery of Language.” In Walker Percy, Philosopher, ed. Leslie Marsh. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2018.
• Culbertson, Carolyn. “Losing the Measure of Health: Phenomenological Reflections on the Role of Technē in Health Care Today.” In Existential Medicine: Essays on Health and Illness, ed. Kevin Aho. London:Rowman and Littlefield International, 2018.
• Culbertson, Carolyn. “My Language Which Is Not My Own: Heidegger and Derrida on the Ambiguity of Linguistic Life.” Southwest Philosophy Review 32, no. 2 (2016).
• Culbertson, Carolyn. “The Omnipotent Word of Medical Diagnosis and the Silence of Depression: An Argument for Kristeva’s Therapeutic Approach.” IJFAB: The International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics 9, no. 2(2016).
• Culbertson, Carolyn. "The Ethics of Relationality: Judith Butler and Social Critique." Continental Philosophy Review 46, no. 3 (2013).
• Culbertson, Carolyn. "Nature and Self-Knowledge: On Schelling's Ambiguous Role in Merleau-Ponty's The Concept of Nature." In The Barbarian Principle: Merleau-Ponty, Schelling, and the Question of Nature, ed. Jason Wirth and Patrick Burke. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2013.
• Culbertson, Carolyn. "Finding Ourselves in Language: On the Theme of Entanglement in Heidegger's Unterwegs zur Sprache and Barthes' Literary Theory." In Schreiben Dichten Denken: Zu Heideggers Sprachbegriff, ed. David Espinet. Frankfurt am Main: Vittorio Klosterman, 2011.
• Culbertson, Carolyn. “Ordinary Mind and the Mumonkan.” Comparative and Continental Philosophy 2, no. 1 (2010).

Book Reviews and Translations:

• Culbertson, Carolyn. Review of Proto-Phenomenology and the Nature of Language: Dwelling in Speech by Lawrence J. Hatab. Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews. Published December 7, 2018.
• Culbertson, Carolyn. Review of Senses of the Subject by Judith Butler. Feminist Review 118 (2018).
• Heidegger, Martin. “Art and Thinking.” Translated by Carolyn Culbertson and Tobias Keiling. Philosophy Today 61, no. 6 (2017).
• Heidegger, Martin. “Reciprocal Mirroring.” Translated by Carolyn Culbertson and Tobias Keiling. Philosophy Today 61, no. 6 (2017).
• Culbertson, Carolyn. Review of Feminist Experiences: Foucauldian and Phenomenological Investigations by Johanna Oksala. Human Studies: A Journal for Philosophy and Social Science 40, no. 1 (2017).
• Culbertson, Carolyn. Review of Tracing Expression in Merleau-Ponty: Aesthetics, Philosophy of Biology and Ontology by Veronique Foti. Comparative and Continental Philosophy 6, no. 1 (2014).

Selected Conference Presentations

• “Hermeneutical Activity in On the Way to Language.” North Texas Heidegger Symposium. McKinney, TX, 2019.
• “Play in Conversation: The Cognitive Import of Gadamer’s Theory of Play.” North Texas Philosophical Association. Dallas, TX, 2019.
• “On the Place of Friendship in Judith Butler’s Thought.” Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy. State College, PA, 2018.
• “Rethinking Women’s Silence: Hermeneutic and Feminist Considerations.” North American Society for Philosophical Hermeneutics. Naperville, IL, 2018.
• “Remarks on Hatab’s Proto-Phenomenology and the Nature of Language: Dwelling in Speech” (Book Panel with Lawrence Hatab and Daniel Dahlstrom). Heidegger Circle. Baltimore, MD, 2018.
• “From Modern Medical Science to the Art of Healing: Heidegger and Gadamer on the Critique of Modern Health Care.” North American Society for Philosophical Hermeneutics. Baltimore, MD, 2017.
• “Walker Percy, Phenomenology, and the Mystery of Language.” North Texas Heidegger Symposium. McKinney, TX, 2017.
• “The Inseparability of Reading and Writing: Cy Twombly and Roland Barthes.” North American Society for Philosophical Hermeneutics. College Station, TX, 2016.
• “Reading Nishida’s ‘Basho’.” CoZen Symposium. San Carlos, Panama, 2016.
• “The Genuine Possibility of Being-With: Heidegger, Watsuji, and the Primacy of Betweenness.” International Association for Japanese Philosophy at the American Philosophical Association. Washington D.C., 2016.
• “The Life of the Other is Also Our Life: Friendship and Radical Alterity in Judith Butler’s Ethics.” Comparative and Continental Philosophy Circle. Reykjavik, Iceland, 2015.
• “The Genuine Possibility of Being-With: Heidegger, Watsuji, and the Primacy of Betweenness.” Heidegger Circle. Baltimore, MD, 2015.
• “The Omnipotent Word of Medical Diagnosis and the Silence of Depression: An Argument for Kristeva’s Clinical Approach.” Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy. Eugene, OR, 2013.
• “My Language Which Is Not My Own: Heidegger and Derrida’s Challenge to Linguistic Determinism.” Heidegger Circle. New Haven, CT, 2013.
• “The Ethics of Relationality: Judith Butler and Social Critique.” Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy. Rochester, NY, 2012.
• “Speech and Ambiguity in Kristeva’s Black Sun.” Kristeva Circle. Albany, NY, 2012.
• “Sincerity in the Performance: The Relevance of Confucian Li Today.” Comparative and Continental Philosophy Circle. San Diego, CA, 2012.
• “Holding Your Memory: The Politics of Remembering Together in Derrida and Kristeva” – The Time of Revolution and the Revolution of Time, Binghamton, NY, 2011.
• “The Pre-worldly Past: On Nostalgia in Freudian Psychoanalysis.” Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy, Arlington, VA, 2009.
• “Finding Ourselves in Language: On the Theme of Entanglement in Heidegger’s Unterwegs zur Sprache.” Heidegger Gesellschaft. Marbach am Neckar, Germany, 2009.
• “The Ethics of Rhetoric: Political Oratory in Aristotle and Emerson.” Northwest Philosophy Conference. Eugene, OR, 2008.
• “Ordinary Mind in the Mumonkan.” Comparative and Continental Philosophy Circle. East West Center, Honolulu, HA, 2008.
• “The Geheimnis of Language in Paul Celan’s Meridian.” Participants’ Conference at the Collegium Phaenomenologicum. Citta di Castello, Italy, 2007.
• “Awakening Words: Poetic Language in the Zen Tradition.” Comparative and Continental Philosophy Circle. Seattle, WA, 2007.

Selected Grants and Awards

• Honors Summer Research Fellowship (internal), FGCU Honors College. Competitive fellowship received to support research with an undergraduate student on hermeneutic approaches to critical thinking, 2019.
• Research-Scholarship Venture Fund Grant (internal), FGCU. Competitive grant received to support the development of the Southwest Florida Community Feminist Reading Group, 2019.
• Professional Development Grants (internal), FGCU. Semi-competitive grants received to support travel to professional academic conferences, 2013-19.
• Faculty Development Research Award (internal), University of Maine Farmington. Semi-competitive grant received to support travel to professional academic conferences, 2012.
• Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) Research Grant (external). Highly competitive grant used to support research at Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, 2009.
• SPEP Graduate Student Award (external). Competitive award given to the best paper overall on the conference program written by a graduate student. Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy, 2009.