John Spackman
Office
Twilight Hall 309
Tel
(802) 443-3271
Email
jspackma@middlebury.edu

John Spackman earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy from Yale University.  He received a B.A. from Grinnell College, and also holds an M.A. in Religion from Columbia University, where he specialized in Buddhist philosophy and religion.  His central interests in both research and teaching are in the philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, and Buddhist philosophy.  He is also a core faculty member in the Neuroscience Program at Middlebury.   

Professor Spackman’s research focuses in particular on debates about the nonconceptuality of experience and the nature of concepts in both Western and Buddhist philosophy; on the nature and contents of consciousness; and on the metaphysics of the Buddhist doctrine of emptiness. He is the co-editor, with Mark Siderits and Ching Keng, of Buddhist Philosophy of Consciousness:  Tradition and Dialogue (Brill, 2021), and his articles have appeared in such journals as Philosophical Studies, Philosophy East and West, and the Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism.   

In addition to teaching courses on the philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, and Buddhist philosophy, he also regularly teaches courses on aesthetics and the philosophy of religion.   

Courses Taught

Course Description

Faith and Reason
In this seminar we will explore perennial and contemporary questions in the philosophy of religion: Is there a God? Are objective proofs of God possible, or is religious belief founded on subjective feelings? What is faith? The modern period has been a time of unprecedented crisis for religion, and we will focus in particular on these challenges and responses to them. Is religion, as Freud thought, just wish-fulfillment? Is religious belief compatible with science? Can any religion claim to be the true religion given the plurality of religious faiths? Readings will include works by St. Augustine, St. Anselm, Kant, Kierkegaard, William James, Freud, and contemporary philosophers. 3 hrs. sem.

Terms Taught

Fall 2020

Requirements

CW, PHL

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Course Description

Independent Research
Students enrolled in NSCI 0500 complete individual research projects involving laboratory or extensive library study on a topic chosen by the student and approved in advance by a NSCI faculty advisor. This course is not open to seniors; seniors should enroll in NSCI 0700. (Approval required)

Terms Taught

Winter 2020, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2021, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Winter 2025, Spring 2025

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Course Description

Senior Research
This course is for senior NSCI majors who plan to conduct one or more semesters of independent research, or who plan to complete preparatory work toward a senior thesis, such as researching and writing a thesis proposal as well as, if appropriate, collecting data that will form the basis for a senior thesis. Senior NSCI majors who plan to complete a senior thesis should register initially for NSCI 0700. Additional requirements may include participation in weekly meetings with advisors and/or lab groups and attending neuroscience seminars. (Approval required, open to seniors only)

Terms Taught

Winter 2020, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2021, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Winter 2025, Spring 2025

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Course Description

Senior Thesis
Senior NSCI majors who have completed one or more terms of NSCI 0700, who have a GPA of 3.3 in their major courses, and who plan to complete a senior thesis should register for NSCI 0701 for the final semester of the senior thesis process. Students enrolled in NSCI 0701 write a thesis, give a public presentation of their research, and present an oral defense of the thesis before a committee of at least two Neuroscience faculty members. Faculty may recommend High honors in Neuroscience after considering the quality of these components of a student’s thesis and the student’s GPA in major courses. Additional requirements may include participation in weekly meetings with advisors and/or lab groups and attending neuroscience seminars. (NSCI 0700, Approval required)

Terms Taught

Winter 2020, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2021, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Winter 2025, Spring 2025

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Course Description

Introduction to World Philosophy
This course will offer a comparative introduction to a number of world philosophical traditions, including those of Europe and America, India, China, and Africa. We will consider central debates within these traditions, including: How should we live? What is the ultimate nature of reality, and how can we come to know it? What is the nature of the self, and how does it relate to society? We will also investigate the broader question of whether truth and morality are relative to culture. Central readings will include works by Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Lao Tzu, Confucius, and contemporary African philosophers, as well as Hindu and Buddhist texts. 2 hrs. lect,1 hr. disc.

Terms Taught

Fall 2020, Fall 2022, Fall 2023

Requirements

CMP, PHL

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Course Description

Aesthetics
In this course we will investigate the nature of art and aesthetic experience through readings from historical and contemporary philosophers and artists. Is art essentially rational or non-rational, and can it offer a deeper insight into reality than discursive knowledge can? What is beauty, and is it essential to art? What is the relation between art and the ethical, the social, and the political? We will consider both influential traditional theories of art such as those of Plato, Aristotle, Kant, and Nietzsche, and more recent modern and postmodern critiques of traditional views. Readings will also include works by artists such as Van Gogh and Kandinsky.

Terms Taught

Spring 2024

Requirements

ART, EUR, PHL

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Course Description

Philosophy of Mind
What is the nature of the mind, and how does it relate to the body and the physical world? Could computers ever think? Do animals have mental and emotional lives? This course will explore several of the major recent philosophical conceptions of the mind. A central focus will be on evaluating various attempts to explain the mind in purely physical terms, including the project of artificial intelligence (AI). Can these theories give us a complete understanding of the mind? Other key questions will include: What is the nature of thought, and how is it capable of representing the world? What is consciousness, and can it be explained physically? 3 hrs. lect./1 hr. disc.

Terms Taught

Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2023

Requirements

PHL

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Course Description

Buddhist Philosophy
This course is an introduction to central ideas and debates in the history of Buddhist philosophy, focusing primarily on Indian Buddhism. We will critically evaluate the philosophical views of a range of texts and schools of Buddhist thought, including early Buddhist sutras and the Abhidharma, Madhyamaka, and Yogācāra schools. Readings will be from both primary and secondary texts. Topics addressed will include the Buddhist critique of a permanent self; ultimate and conventional truth; Buddhist approaches to knowledge; the nature of meditation; and Buddhist ethics. We will also consider the modern appropriation of Buddhist ideas. The course will include a discussion section in which students will receive training in meditation practices. 3 hrs. lect. 1 hr discussion

Terms Taught

Fall 2023

Requirements

PHL, SOA

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Course Description

Philosophy of Language
Speaking a language is a complex form of behavior that plays a rich and varied role in human life. The philosophy of language seeks to give a philosophical account of this phenomenon, focusing on such questions as: How does language gain meaning? How does meaning relate to truth and reference? What is conveyed by different speech acts? In the Public Humanities Lab component of the course, students will apply their understanding of these themes to case studies involving issues such as free speech, linguistic oppression and silencing, the meaning of terms for gender and race, and truth in political speech. Readings will include works by Frege, Russell, Wittgenstein, and contemporary journal articles. (Previous course in philosophy or waiver.) 3 hrs lect.

Terms Taught

Spring 2021, Spring 2023

Requirements

CW, PHL

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Course Description

Consciousness
In this course we will focus on recent philosophical issues in the study of consciousness: What is the nature of our conscious subjective experience? What is the function of conscious states? Can we find neural correlates of consciousness, and if so, can consciousness simply be reduced to them? If not, how does consciousness relate to the physical? Is there something irreducible about the qualitative features of consciousness (qualia)? Could computers ever be conscious? Are animals conscious? We will consider such questions through the writings of contemporary philosophers and neuroscientists such as Dennett, Chalmers, Churchland, Nagel, Damasio, and Searle. (PHIL 0352 is strongly recommended but not required). 3 hrs. lect.

Terms Taught

Spring 2024

Requirements

PHL

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Course Description

Concepts: The Stuff of Thought
Concepts are often regarded as “the stuff of thought”: they allow us to categorize the world, learn about it, and navigate through it. But what are they, and how do they relate to reality? In this course we will examine prominent contemporary philosophical theories of concepts, drawing as well on readings from cognitive science and neuroscience. Possible topics include: Is it possible to define concepts? How are they mentally represented? Is reality relative to conceptual schemes? Do concepts give us knowledge of reality or hinder our awareness of it? Is perception nonconceptual? Do animals have concepts? (Junior and senior majors, or by waiver.) 3 hrs. sem.

Terms Taught

Fall 2022

Requirements

PHL

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Course Description

Research in Philosophy
Supervised independent research in philosophy. (Approval required).

Terms Taught

Winter 2020, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2021, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Winter 2022, Fall 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Winter 2025, Spring 2025

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Course Description

Senior Independent Research
In this course senior philosophy majors will complete an independent research project. The course has two components: (1) a group workshop in which students refine their research skills and develop parts of their projects, and (2) individual meetings with an adviser who is knowledgeable about the student's research topic. Students will engage in research activities such as tutorials and peer reviews. Before the course begins, students’ research topics and advisers will be decided in consultation with members of the department. (Senior majors.) 3 hrs. sem.

Terms Taught

Fall 2021

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Course Description

Consciousness
In this course we will focus on contemporary philosophical issues in the study of consciousness, drawing as well on recent research in neuroscience and psychology, and on the insights of traditional Buddhist accounts of consciousness. Questions to be addressed include: What is the nature of our conscious subjective experience, and how does it relate to self-awareness? Does consciousness create a “grand illusion,” or does it represent the world correctly? Can we find the neural correlates of consciousness? Can consciousness be reduced to matter, or must we view it as non-physical? Readings will be drawn from contemporary philosophers and scientists such as Daniel Dennett, David Chalmers, and Antonio Damasio.

Terms Taught

Winter 2022

Requirements

PHL, WTR

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Course Description

Mindfulness and the Mind: Buddhist and Western Perspectives
In this team-taught class we will examine the theory and practice of mindfulness from traditional Buddhist and contemporary philosophical perspectives, and consider its implications for our understanding of the mind. We will outline the origins of mindfulness in Asian Buddhism, and its development in the modern West. We then examine philosophical questions raised by studying meditation scientifically: does a 1st person perspective validate the content of our experience? Or must it also by verified by objective, 3rd person perspectives? What does meditation reveal about the nature of consciousness? If consciousness is reflexive, aware of itself, does this self-awareness undermine the Buddhist doctrine of non-self? Students will get first-hand experience practicing mindfulness two hours a week, led by a local meditation teacher. Readings will be from Buddhist and Western philosophical texts and articles.

Terms Taught

Winter 2024

Requirements

PHL, WTR

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