Curriculum Vitae - Phil Woodward Philosophy -

Areas of Specialization
Philosophy of Mind, Philosophical Anthropology

Areas of Competence
Metaphysics, Epistemology, Philosophy of Religion

Employment
Associate Professor of Philosophy, Niagara University, 2025 – present
Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Niagara University, 2021 – 2025
Residential Research Fellow, Henry Center for Theological Understanding, 2021 – 2022
Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Valparaiso University, 2015 – 2021

Education
PhD in Philosophy, with graduate minor in the History & Philosophy of Science – Indiana University, 2015
Dissertation: The Emergence of Mental Content: An Essay in the Metaphysics of Mind
Committee: Timothy O’Connor (chair), Colin Allen, Kirk Ludwig, Fred Schmitt

MA in Philosophy – Indiana University, 2009
Thesis: “Constraining the Phenomenal Concept Strategy”
Committee: Timothy O’Connor (chair), Fred Schmitt

BA in Philosophy, with minor in Music – Seattle Pacific University, magna cum laude, 2005

Publications
Journal Articles and Book Chapters

“The Kingdom of Health, the Kingdom of Sickness, and the Kingdom of God.” Forthcoming in Christian Bioethics.
“Homo Adorans and the Grounds of Human Dignity.” Forthcoming in The International Journal of Philosophy and Theology.
“Caretakers of Value: A Theory of Human Personhood.” The Philosophical Forum 55 (3): 251-269. 2024.
“Devotion and Well-Being: A Platonic Personalist Perfectionist Account,” The Journal of Value Inquiry 58: 403-423. 2024.
“The Role of Consciousness in Free Action,” in John Keim Campbell, Kristin M. Mickelson, & V. Alan White, ed., A Companion to Free Will, Wiley-Blackwell, 2023.
“Consciousness and Rationality: The Lesson from Artificial Intelligence.” Journal of Consciousness Studies 29 (5-6):150-175. 2022.
“The Selection Problem for Constitutive Panpsychism.” Australasian Journal of Philosophy, 99 (3): 564-578. 2021.
“Technological Innovation and Natural Law.” Philosophia Reformatta, 85 (2): 138-156. 2020.
“Primer, proposal, and paradigm: A review essay of Mendelovici’s The Phenomenal Basis of Intentionality.” Philosophical Psychology, 32 (8): 1246-1260. 2019.
“Phenomenal Intentionality: Reductionism vs. Primitivism.” Canadian Journal of Philosophy 49 (5): 606-627. 2019.
“Explaining the Ontological Emergence of Consciousness,” in Mihretu Guta, ed., Consciousness and the Ontology of Properties, 109-125. 2019.
“A Posteriori Physicalism and the Discrimination of Properties.” Acta Analytica 33 (1): 121-143.
“Conscious Intentionality in Perception, Imagination, and Cognition,” Phenomenology & Mind 10: 141-155. 2016.
“Incarnation and the Multiverse,” with Timothy O’Connor, in Klaas Kraay ed., God and the Multiverse: Scientific, Philosophical, and Theological Perspectives. 227-241. 2014.

Book Reviews

Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn, Ars Vitae: The Fate of Inwardness and the Return of the Ancient Arts of Living. Sapientia. <https://henrycenter.tiu.edu/2022/03/coping-strategies-and-the-consolation-of-god/>
Keith Ward, Christ and the Cosmos. Sophia, 56 (2): 375-377, 2017.
Declan Smithies & Daniel Stoljar, ed., Introspection and Consciousness. Philosophical Psychology 28 (8): 1241-1245, 2014

In Preparation

Human Persons: A Contemporary Philosophical-Scientific Synthesis (book manuscript), co-authored with Tim O’Connor

Presentations [*refereed]

“The Kingdom of Health, the Kingdom of Sickness, and the Kingdom of God,” Romanell Center Workshop, University at Buffalo, November 2025
“What is Reasoning?” Midwest Regional Meeting of the Society of Christian Philosophers, Asbury Seminary, November 2025 *
“The Kingdom of Health, the Kingdom of Sickness, and the Kingdom of God,” Ostapenko Center symposium, Niagara University, October 2025
“The Unity of the Subject,” Romanell Center Workshop, University at Buffalo, January 2025
“The Unity of the Subject,” Midwest Regional Meeting of the Society of Christian Philosophers, University of Oklahoma, November 2024 *
“Love is the Link Between Duty and Welfare,” Society of Christian Philosophers 45^th Anniversary Meeting, Calvin University, October 2023
“Love is the Link Between Duty and Welfare,” Romanell Center Workshop, University at Buffalo, February 2023
“Homo Adorans and the Grounds of Human Dignity,” Romanell Center Workshop, University at Buffalo, December 2022
“Homo Adorans and the Grounds of Human Dignity,” Midwest Regional Meeting of the Society of Christian Philosophers, Bowling Green State University, November 2022 *
“Custodians of Value: A Theory of Human Personhood,” ‘At Home in the Cosmos: Theological Anthropology for a Scientific Age’ Conference, Beeson Divinity School, January 2022
“Devotion and Well-Being: A Platonic Personalist Perfectionist Approach,” God & Morality Conference, Aix-Marseille University, October 2021 *
“The Selection Problem for Panpsychism,” The Science of Consciousness Conference, Interlaken, Switzerland, June 2019 *
“Consciousness and the Limits of A.I.,” Artificial Intelligence Faculty Cohort, Valparaiso University, March 2019
“Explaining the Ontological Emergence of Consciousness,” Midsouth Philosophy Conference, Rhodes College, April 2017 *
“Panpsychism, Neuroscience, and the Dynamics of Consciousness,” Pacific APA meeting, April 2016 *
“Why You Can’t Build a Mind Out of Matter,” Valparaiso University Philosophy Department Colloquium, April 2016
“Accounting for Non-Conscious Content,” Southern Society for Philosophy & Psychology, March 2016 *
“Consciousness and Cognitive Individuation,” Consciousness Conference, University of Michigan-Flint, October 2015 *
“Emergent Materialism: An Inflationary Defense,” Toward a Science of Consciousness, University of Helsinki, June 2015 *
“The Acquaintance Argument for Intrinsic Intentionality,” Toronto Graduate Philosophy Conference, University of Toronto, May 2015 *
“Consciousness and Cognitive Individuation,” Indiana Philosophical Association, Owensboro Community and Technical College, April 2015 *
“Phenomenal Intentionality: Reductionism vs. Primitivism,” Syracuse Graduate Philosophy Conference, Syracuse University, March 2015 *
“Phenomenal Intentionality: Reductionism vs. Primitivism,” Southeast Graduate Philosophy Conference, University of Florida, March 2015 *
“Phenomenal Intentionality: Reductionism vs. Primitivism,” Society for Philosophy & Psychology, University of British Columbia, June 2014 *
“Phenomenal Intentionality: Reductionism vs. Primitivism,” Indiana University, April 2014
“The Acquaintance Argument for Intrinsic Intentionality,” Midsouth Philosophy Conference, Rhodes College, February 2014 *
“Mental Content and Transparent Access: Or, Why All Relational Theories of Intentionality Are Wrong,” University of Evansville, April 2013
“A Posteriori Physicalism and the Principle of Rational Discrimination,” Midsouth Philosophy Conference, Rhodes College, February 2013 *
“Trans-Universe Identity,” with Timothy O’Connor, Midwest Annual Workshop in Metaphysics, St. Louis University, October 2012

Honors/Awards

Academic Innovation Fund Mini Grant, Niagara University, 2024
Christ & Being Human Syllabus Development Partnership, Yale Center for Faith & Culture, 2023
Academic Innovation Fund Mini Grant, Niagara University, 2022
Residential Research Fellowship, Henry Center for Theological Understanding, 2021 – 2022
Phi Sigma Kappa Faculty Award for Significant Impact on a Member, Valparaiso University, 2019
Research Expense Grant, Valparaiso University, 2019
Neuroscience Lecture Grant, Valparaiso University College of Arts & Sciences, 2019
Small Lecture Grant, Society of Christian Philosophers, 2018
Cultural Arts Grant, Valparaiso University, 2017
Graduate Essay Prize, Indiana Philosophical Association Meeting, 2015
James B. Nelson Dissertation Fellowship, Indiana University, 2013 – 2014

Professional Service

At Niagara University:

General Education Committee member, fall 2023 – present
Faculty Senator, fall 2023 – spring 2025
Natural Science Inquiry Gen Ed workgroup member, fall 2023 – spring 2024
Society of Christian Philosophers Diversity Committee member, spring 2023 – present
Society of Christian Philosophers APA-Eastern program committee member, spring 2023 – present
Research Council summer grant application peer reviewer, spring 2023

At Valparaiso University:

Neuroscience Program Committee member, fall 2016 – spring 2021
Philosophy Colloquium Series coordinator, fall 2015 – spring 2020
Worldview Club advisor, fall 2019 – spring 2020
College of Arts & Sciences Curriculum Committee member, fall 2019 – spring 2020
Arts, Humanities, & Social Science Gen. Ed. Working Group member, fall 2019
Focus advisor (for incoming freshmen), summer 2017 & 2018
Honor Council member, fall 2017 – 2019
Philosophy Club advisor, fall 2016 – spring 2017
Freshman Core Curriculum Committee member, spring 2017
Neuroscience Program Development Committee member, fall 2015 – spring 2016
Math Placement Committee member, Valparaiso University, fall 2015

Academic Journals served as referee:

Acta Analytica
American Philosophical Quarterly
Analytic Philosophy
Australasian Journal of Philosophy
Disputatio
Erkenntnis
Ergo
Inquiry
Journal of Consciousness Studies
Mind & Language
Modern Theology
Philosopher’s Imprint
Philosophical Psychology
Philosophical Quarterly
Philosophical Studies
Studies in Religion
Synthese

Academic Presses served as referee:

Oxford University Press
Cambridge University Press
Routledge