Stephen Puryear
I am a Teaching Assistant Professor of Philosophy and affiliate of the Classical Studies program at NC State. Before arriving in Raleigh in 2008, I earned my Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh (2006) and spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University.
I typically teach two of the department's offerings in the history of philosophy: Ancient Philosophy (PHI 300) and Early Modern Philosophy (PHI 301). These courses cover the two greatest periods in the history of philosophy and provide the background necessary for understanding much of the work being done in philosophy today. Along with logic, they form the backbone of the philosophy curriculum.
I also supervise a number of projects for our writing course in the history of philosophy (PHI 495). If you are a philosophy major enrolled in PHI 300 or PHI 301 and you would like me to supervise your PHI 495 project, please contact me toward the beginning of the semester. You will need to print this form, fill it out, and bring it to me for my signature.
In my research, I tend to approach the problems of philosophy through consideration of the great philosophers and philosophical movements of history. I especially enjoy thinking about Plato, the Stoics, Leibniz, Hume, Rousseau, Kant, Schopenhauer, and Frege. As for topics, my interests lie primarily in the areas of metaphysics, ethics, and political philosophy. For more on my published work, see my publications page.
