Department News and Announcements

The Other Side: Research Presentation with Dr. Seth Vannatta

Office of Undergraduate Research

Join Dr. Seth Vannatta, Professor of Philosophy & Religious Studies, for “The Other Side,” a presentation featuring his research for his book manuscript, Conservatism and the Rationalist Temptation.

September 22, 2026
11:00 a.m.
SRC Spencer Hall, Room 200

Welcome Our New Faculty Members!

We are excited to welcome Dr. John Stigall and Dr. Kylie Erfani to the Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies this semester!

Dr. Stigall is not exactly new to us. We are delighted to welcome him back as he teaches Critical Thinking this fall. In April 2026, Dr. Stigall shared his research on Dr. Euphemia Haynes at our department colloquium. We are honored and privileged to have him back with us at Morgan State University.

We are also thrilled to welcome Dr. Kylie Erfani, who earned her Ph.D. in Cultural Studies from George Mason University earlier this year. This semester, Dr. Erfani will teach Critical Thinking and 19th Century Philosophy.

Please join us in welcoming both Dr. Stigall and Dr. Erfani to Morgan State University! If you see them on campus, be sure to say hello and give them a warm Morgan welcome.

Welcome, Dr. Stigall and Dr. Erfani!

Faculty Publication: Dr. Seth Vannatta

We are pleased to announce the recent publication of A Metaphysics for the Liberal Arts: Process, Continuity, and Quality, co-authored by Dr. Seth Vannatta, Professor in the Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies. Published by Routledge in February 2026, the book offers a timely and distinctive exploration of the relationship between metaphysics and the liberal arts.

In Part I, the authors contrast the dualistic metaphysics of Platonism, Cartesianism, and materialism with the process metaphysics of William James, John Dewey, C. S. Peirce, and A. N. Whitehead. They consider how education can be understood as a transactive and interactive process in which objects of knowledge develop and evolve over time.

Part II examines competing perspectives on the value and purpose of a liberal arts education, including reactionary, conservative, pragmatist, and radical approaches. In Part III, the authors explore the connections between metaphysics and differing conceptions of art, demonstrating how process metaphysics can illuminate the role of aesthetic experience in both understanding and appreciating art and in liberal arts education.

Bringing together insights from metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of education, and aesthetics, A Metaphysics for the Liberal Arts will be of interest to scholars, researchers, faculty, and others interested in the philosophical foundations and possibilities of a liberal arts education.

Congratulations to Dr. Vannatta on this important scholarly achievement!

Faculty Spotlight

Congratulations to Dr. Daniel J. Brunson, whose edited volume Disability and American Philosophies has been reviewed in the European Journal of Pragmatism and American Philosophy. The review explores how the volume reimagines disability through the perspectives of American philosophy and pragmatism, emphasizing themes of embodiment, justice, neurodiversity, and democratic participation. This publication reflects Dr. Brunson's ongoing engagement with contemporary philosophical scholarship.