David Svolba

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
Humanities School of Arts and Sciences
David Svolba, PhD, Philosophy, Humanities
978.665.3275 Office: Conlon Fine Arts 253
Office Hours
Spring 2025

Monday 12:30pm - 1:45pm
Tuesday 11:00am - 12:15pm
Wednesday 12:30pm - 1:45pm

Courses Taught

To see course descriptions go to the University Catalog.

Intro to Western Philosophy (PHIL 1000)
Logic (PHIL 1100)
Medical Ethics (PHIL 2001)
Contemporary Ethical Problems (PHIL 2500)
Introduction to Ethics (PHIL 2550)
Philosophy of Human Nature (PHIL 2600)
Consciousness (PHIL 3020)
World Religions (PHIL 3610)
Political and Social Philosophy (PHIL 4200)
Ethical Issues in Business (PHIL 4700)
Environmental Ethics
Bioethics (BIOL 3700)
Honors Seminar in Philosophy
Critical and Creative Thinking (IDIS 1600)

Background

Ph.D., University of Chicago (Philosophy). June 2008
M.Phil., Catholic University of Leuven (Philosophy). June 1999
B.A., Salisbury University (Philosophy). June 1997

Awards and Fellowships:

Whiting Dissertation Fellowship, 2005-2006
University Fellowship: University of Chicago, 1999-2004
Ames Summer Research Fellowship, University of Chicago, 2001
Flemish Community Fellowship, Belgian Embassy, 1997

Normative Ethics (Theoretical & Applied)
Free Will and Moral Responsibility
Harry Frankfurt

“Justice at the Margins: The Social Contract and the Challenge of Marginal Cases,” with Nathan Bauer. Southern Journal of Philosophy (55)1: 51-67 (2017).

“Is There a Rawlsian Argument for Animal Rights?” Ethical Theory and Moral Practice (Springer, 2016), 19:4, 973-984.

“A Review of Brian Leiter’s Why Tolerate Religion? Science, Religion, and Culture (Smith and Franklin, 2014), 1:2.

“Swindell, Frankfurt, and Ambivalence,” Philosophical Explorations (Routledge, 2011), 14:2.

“People Just Don’t Do That: Curb Your Enthusiasm and the Virtue of Civility,” with Chad Flanders, in Curb Your Enthusiasm and Philosophy (Open Court, 2011).

“Drawing a Line in the Sand: Rules of Aggression in The Big Lebowski,” with Adam Betz, in The Big Lebowski and Philosophy (Blackwell, 2012).

American Philosophical Association