I am a PhD candidate in Philosophy at the University of Michigan, where I work on early modern philosophy. I am writing a dissertation on ‘Early Modern Dualisms and Unities of Consciousness’ – focusing on Descartes, More, and Clarke. Tad Schmaltz is the chair of my committee.

My research interests lie in understanding, through the lens of the history of philosophy, how the world metaphysically is and how it is that we, as living beings, navigate and psychologically experience it. In addition to my dissertation, my current work focuses on issues regarding perception, memory, and consciousness in the writings of figures in the early modern period such as Descartes, Henry More, Anne Conway, Samuel Clarke, and Émilie Du Châtelet. I have also done work in ancient and medieval philosophy on figures such as Plato, Aristotle, Chrysippus, and Aquinas. My published work has appeared in journals such as British Journal for the History of Philosophy, Apeiron, and Ancient Philosophy. Details about my publications (including articles currently under review) can be found here and details about my current research projects (including my dissertation) can be found here.

While at the University of Michigan, I have designed and taught courses on both ‘The Self’ and on ‘Love, Loving, and Loss’. I have also served as a Graduate Student Instructional Consultant (GSIC), for the University’s Centre for Research on Learning and Teaching, where I provide guidance for other graduate student instructors and help promote excellence in their teaching. For further details on my teaching interests and experience, see here.

I have done a variety of service work, including having served as the Chair of the Graduate Student Council of the American Philosophical Association from July 2022 – June 2024 and, before that, as the President of the British Postgraduate Philosophy Association from April 2019 – November 2020. You can read more about my service work here.

I hold an undergraduate degree in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame and have also earned a master’s degree in ancient philosophy at Hertford College, University of Oxford, where I was the recipient of the Hertford Senior Scholarship. Further, while at the University of Michigan, I have completed the Cognitive Science Graduate Certificate, supplementing my work in the history of the philosophy of mind with contemporary work in the field.

Please find my CV here.

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scostel@umich.edu

AOS: Early Modern Philosophy, Ancient Philosophy

AOC: Medieval Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind, Metaphysics