Rebecca Lloyd Waller is an associate professor in the philosophy department. She began teaching at Kenyon in Fall 2009. Rebecca came to Kenyon after completing a dissertation on Descartes' account of time at Purdue University. Her book, "Descartes' Temporal Dualism" was published in 2014. Her interest in the philosophy of time extend beyond her Cartesian studies. She has also published papers on Leibniz's and Spinoza's accounts of time and on McTaggart's famous refutation of time.
Rebecca entered Purdue with a master's degree in philosophy from Marquette University and with bachelors' degrees from Siena Heights University in English and philosophy.
Rebecca's primary research interests are in the history of philosophy and in metaphysics. She has particular interest in the works of Descartes, and in the topics of time and free will. When not doing philosophy, Rebecca most enjoys spending time with her husband and son (born December 2012), or dabbling in interior design, literature and…
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Rebecca Lloyd Waller is an associate professor in the philosophy department. She began teaching at Kenyon in Fall 2009. Rebecca came to Kenyon after completing a dissertation on Descartes' account of time at Purdue University. Her book, "Descartes' Temporal Dualism" was published in 2014. Her interest in the philosophy of time extend beyond her Cartesian studies. She has also published papers on Leibniz's and Spinoza's accounts of time and on McTaggart's famous refutation of time.
Rebecca entered Purdue with a master's degree in philosophy from Marquette University and with bachelors' degrees from Siena Heights University in English and philosophy.
Rebecca's primary research interests are in the history of philosophy and in metaphysics. She has particular interest in the works of Descartes, and in the topics of time and free will. When not doing philosophy, Rebecca most enjoys spending time with her husband and son (born December 2012), or dabbling in interior design, literature and theater.
Areas of Expertise
Descartes, early modern philosophy, metaphysics of time, metaphysics of free will, philosophy of religion, critical thinking, ethics.
Education
2009 — Doctor of Philosophy from Purdue University
2004 — Master of Arts from Marquette University
2002 — Bachelor of Arts from Siena Heights University
Courses Recently Taught
PHIL 100
Introduction to Philosophy
PHIL 100
The primary aim of this course is to acquaint the student with the spirit, methods and problems of philosophy. Students will explore the range of issues in which philosophical inquiry is possible and to which it is relevant. Major works of important philosophers, both ancient and modern, will be used to introduce topics in metaphysics, theory of knowledge, ethics and other traditional areas of philosophical concern. No prerequisite. Offered every semester.
PHIL 110
Introduction to Ethics
PHIL 110
The central question in ethics is "How should I live my life?" This course explores this question by examining major ethical traditions such as honor ethics, Stoicism, Aristotelian virtue ethics, sentimentalism, utilitarianism, Kant's practical philosophy, Nietzsche's critique of morality, Buddhist ethics and feminist ethics. The emphasis is on classical texts, as well as their connections with our contemporary life. This course is suitable for first-year students. This counts toward the ethics requirement for the major. No prerequisite. Offered every year.
PHIL 115
Practical Issues in Ethics
PHIL 115
This course examines moral issues we encounter in our private, as well as public, lives from a philosophical point of view. We discuss various ethical approaches such as Kantianism, utilitarianism and value pluralism through analyzing issues such as abortion, capital punishment, euthanasia, the moral status of nonhuman animals, the environment, climate change, war, world poverty, inequality and the ecology of rural life. There is a strong emphasis on discussion and we use diverse methods such as Brandeis Brief and moral heuristics. This course is suitable for first-year students. This counts toward the ethics requirement for the major. No prerequisite. Offered every year.
PHIL 205
Faith and Reason: Medieval Philosophy
PHIL 205
Philosophically speaking, the period between the 11th and 16th centuries was a remarkably fertile one that both warrants and rewards close study. In this course we will examine some of the major thinkers and themes from the Jewish, Muslim and Christian medieval traditions, with an emphasis on understanding how the medieval synthesized the wisdom of the ancients of Aristotle with their dominant religious concerns. Particular attention is paid to the major epistemological and metaphysical topics pursued during this period. This counts toward the philosophical schools and periods requirement for the major. No prerequisite. Offered every third year.
PHIL 209
Feminist Philosophy
PHIL 209
This course will offer a first introduction to feminist philosophy. As such, the course will first offer a brief introduction to the disciplines of feminist theory and philosophy in general, but will then focus on three specific areas. Specifically, the course will emphasize: 1) feminist metaphysics (i.e., how gender might relate to one’s essence, and thus to questions of endurance through chance, etc.), 2) feminist epistemology (i.e., ways in which gender may influence how the world is known) and 3) feminist ethics (i.e., how gender can and perhaps should inform ethical theory). The course will focus on significant primary texts from authors who work within feminist philosophy. These works will be read towards the goal of determining how traditional philosophical questions are informed and enriched when they are considered in light of a Feminist philosophical approach. This counts toward the philosophical schools and periods requirement for the major. No prerequisite.
PHIL 210
Modern Philosophy
PHIL 210
This course examines 17th- through 18th-century philosophy. Major figures to be studied include Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume and Kant. We will stress metaphysical and epistemological issues throughout. It wouldn't be unfair to say that Descartes sets the agenda by creating a certain conception of the mind and the nature of knowledge, while each of the subsequent figures works out various implications of that conception. As such, the course content takes something of a narrative form, where we start with a certain optimism about knowledge and work our way into a deepening skepticism, only to be rescued at the end (by a rescuer whose price may not be worth paying). PHIL 200 is recommended but any previous philosophy course is acceptable. This course is required for the major. No prerequisite. Offered every year.
PHIL 410
Metaphysics Seminar
PHIL 410
The content of this course varies but includes such topics as the nature and scope of reality, causality, space, time, existence, free will, necessity, and the relations of logic and language to the world. Traditional topics such as the problems of substance and of universals may be discussed. Much of the reading will be from contemporary sources. This counts toward the metaphysics requirement for the major. Prerequisite: junior standing and philosophy major or permission of instructor. Offered in a three-year rotation with PHIL 400 and PHIL 405.
PHIL 493
Individual Study
PHIL 493
Individual studies are offered to those students who are highly motivated in a specific area of inquiry and who are judged responsible and capable enough to work independently. Such courses might be research oriented, but more usually are readings-oriented, allowing students to delve in greater depth into topics that interest them or which overlap or supplement other courses of the philosophy department. Students must seek permission of the instructor and department chair before enrolling. They are urged to do this in the semester prior to the one in which they hope to be enrolled. Individual study is at the discretion of the instructor, and schedules may limit such an addition. An individual study cannot duplicate a course or area being concurrently offered. Exceptions to this rule are at the discretion of the instructor and chair. Individual study is usually considered an advanced course. Required work should be viewed as on a par with a seminar or a 300- or 400-level course. The instructor and student(s) should establish and agree upon the extent and nature of the work expected. The work may take one of the following forms: several short papers, one long paper, one in-depth project, a lengthy general outline and annotated bibliography, public presentation(s), etc. An individual study can apply to the major or to the minor with permission of the department. Individual studies may be taken for either 0.25 or 0.50 credits. This decision must be agreed upon with the instructor. The student(s) and instructor will meet on a regular basis. The frequency of contact hours is to be determined by the instructor in consultation with the student. Because students must enroll for individual studies by the end of the seventh class day of each semester, they should begin discussion of the proposed individual study preferably the semester before, so that there is time to devise the proposal and seek departmental approval before the established deadline.\n
PHIL 497
Senior Honors
PHIL 497
Candidates for honors work in philosophy do extensive, independent research with an adviser from the department. This research culminates in a major essay (around 50 pages) that they defend to an outside examiner during the spring semester of their senior year. Honors projects take more than a year to complete, so anyone wishing to pursue honors in philosophy, must begin the process during their junior year. To pursue honors, students must submit a request during the fall of their junior year, and then submit a thesis proposal for departmental approval during the spring of their junior year. Upon departmental approval, honors candidates will register for two 0.25 unit courses to be taken during their senior year, PHIL 497 (fall) and PHIL 498 (spring). In PHIL 497, students do the substantial portion of their writing and research. In PHIL 498, students complete their research projects, and then defend their work to an outside examiner. As philosophy honors projects are very demanding, only philosophy majors with a 3.5 average in philosophy and a 3.33 overall GPA are eligible to submit proposals. Permissions of instructor and department chair required.
PHIL 498
Senior Honors
PHIL 498
Prerequisite: permission of instructor and department chair.