Department of Philosophy                                       (313) 577-7823
Wayne State University                                          j.corvino@wayne.edu
Detroit MI 48202

EDUCATION

Ph.D. 1998 The University of Texas at Austin
B.A. 1990 (with honors), St. John's University, New York

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION

Ethics (including applied ethics), Early Modern Philosophy

Philosophy of Religion, Social and Political Philosophy

For much of the twentieth century Hume has been interpreted as a non-cognitivist in his metaethics. I argue that this interpretation depends upon the conflation of three distinct elements in Hume's theory: moral qualities (vice and virtue) which exist in the objects evaluated; moral sentiments, which provide a non-cognitive and non-inferential means of grasping these moral qualities; and moral judgments, which are complex ideas about the presence of moral qualities. Attention to these distinctions reveals that Hume is best read as a moral realist who embraces a secondary-quality model for moral value. As such, he believes that there are true moral propositions, that their truth is to some extent independent of human beliefs, attitudes, and desires, and that, nevertheless, moral qualities cannot be understood apart from their effect on human perceivers. I defend this account against both exegetical objections by Hume scholars and substantive objections by contemporary moral realists, quasi-realists, and anti-realists; in the process, I show how Hume's account sheds some light on contemporary metaethical debates.

PUBLICATIONS:

Books Edited:

Same Sex: Debating the Ethics, Science, and Culture of Homosexuality, edited and with an introduction by John Corvino, (Rowman & Littlefield, 1997).

"Naughty Fantasies," Southwest Philosophy Review, Vol. 18, Number 1 (January 2002), pp. 213-220.

"Homosexuality and the Moral Relevance of Experience," in Hugh LaFollette, ed., Ethics in Practice, 2^nd ed., (Blackwell, 2001), pp. 241-250.

"Analyzing Gender," Southwest Philosophy Review, Vol. 17, Number 1 (January 2001), pp. 173-180.

"Justice for Glenn and Stacy: On Gender, Morality, and Gay Rights," in James P. Sterba, ed., Social and Political Philosophy: Contemporary Perspectives (Routledge, 2001) pp. 300-318.

"Why Shouldn't Tommy and Jim Have Sex: A Defense of Homosexuality," in Same Sex (cited above), pp. 3-16; reprinted in James E. White, ed., Contemporary Moral Problems, 7^th ed. (Wadsworth, 2002); revised and reprinted as "Homosexuality: The Nature and Harm Arguments," in Alan Soble, ed. The Philosophy of Sex, 3^rd ed., (Rowman & Littlefield, 1997), pp. 137-148, and 4^th edition, forthcoming; and in Terence Ball and Richard Dagger, eds., Ideals and Ideologies (Longman, 2002), pp. 373-381. Revised and reprinted in part in Robert C. Solomon, Introducing Philosophy 7^th ed. (Harcourt College Publishers, 2001), pp. 571-574; and in Thomas A. Mappes and Jane S. Zembaty, eds., Social Ethics: Morality and Social Policy 6^th edition (McGraw Hill, 2002), pp. 189-196.

"Hosmer and the 'Why be Moral?' Question," with Bill Shaw, Business Ethics Quarterly Volume 6, Issue 3 (1996), pp. 373-383.

"How Not to Argue for Gay Rights," in Do We Need Minority Rights?: Conceptual Issues, ed. Juha Räikkä (Kluwer Law International, 1996), pp. 215-235.
 

Book Reviews and Shorter Articles:

"Why Baby Gauvin is Not a Victim," forthcoming in The Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide.

"Review of Edward Stein, The Mismeasure of Desire," Philosophical Quarterly Vol. 52 No. 208 (July 2002), pp. 421-422.

"No Slippery Slope," The Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide, vol. VII, no. 3 (Summer 2000), pp. 37-40.

"Review of Hugh LaFollette's Personal Relationships: Love, Identity, and Morality," Philosophical Quarterly Vol. 48 No. 190 (January 1998), pp. 110-111.

"The Bible Condemned Usurers, Too," The Harvard Gay and Lesbian Review, vol. III, no. 4 (Fall 1996), pp. 11-12; reprinted in The Octopus, Vol. III, No. 7 (February 21, 1997), pp. 6-7.
 

PAPERS PRESENTED:

"Homosexuality, Usury, and Biblical Interpretation," Wayne State University Religious Studies Conference, October 25, 2002.

"Hume on Miracles," University of Turku, Finland, August 15, 2002.

"Two Distinctions in Hume's Moral Theory;" presented at:

29^th Annual Hume Society Conference, Helsinki, Finland, August 9, 2002.
Central Michigan University, November 30, 2000.
University of Windsor, November 15, 2000.
Wayne State University, February 17, 2000.
California State University, Northridge, February 4, 2000.

"Naughty Fantasies", present at:

Wayne State University LGBT Issues Conference on Sexuality, October 26, 2002.
Cornell University, October 11, 2002.
Wayne State University Humanities Center, February 19, 2002
Southwestern Philosophical Association Meeting, Dallas, Texas, November 4, 2001.
APA Central Division Meeting, Chicago IL, April 27, 2002.

"The Boy Scouts and Gay Rights," Special Session of the APA Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People in the Profession, American Philosophical Association (APA) Central Division Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, May 5, 2001.

Comments on Timothy Costelloe's "Strawson's Hume and Hume's Moral Standards," APA Central Division Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, May 4, 2001.

Comments on "What Must a Bisexual Do?" APA Eastern Division Meeting, Society for Lesbian and Gay Philosophy (SLGP) Session, New York, NY, December 28, 2000.

"Analyzing Gender," Southwestern Philosophical Association Meeting, Austin, Texas, November 10, 2000.

"First Gays, Then Polygamists?" presented to the Humanities Center at Wayne State University, October 27, 2000; the philosophy department at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point on February 28, 2000; and to the APA Pacific Division Meeting SLGP Session, Albuquerque NM, April 7, 2000.

"Business Ethics and the 'Why be Moral?' Question," Society for Business Ethics Annual Meeting, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, August 6, 2000.

"Comments on Frederick Rauscher's 'Moral Realism and the Divine Essence in Hutcheson and Hume," Hume Society Meeting, Williamsburg, Virginia, July 27, 2000.

"Two Kinds of Moral Discovery in Hume," American Philosophical Association (APA) Central Division Meeting, Chicago IL, April 22, 2000.

"Comments on 'Issues in Education' Panel," APA Eastern Division Meeting, SLGP Session, Boston MA, December 28, 1999.

"Hume the Intuitionist?" American Philosophical Association (APA) Pacific Division Meeting, Berkeley CA, April 2, 1999.

"Hume on the Color of Virtue," APA Eastern Division Meeting, Washington DC, December 28, 1998.  A longer version of this paper was given at: The University of Texas at Austin, December 4, 1998, and Wayne State University, November 12, 1998.

"Not by Reason Alone: Hume's Response to Wollaston and Clarke in Treatise III.i.1": APA Central Division Meeting, Chicago, IL, May 7, 1998.

Mountain Plains Philosophy Conference, Colorado Springs, CO, October 3, 1997.

"What Hume Was Really Arguing in 'Of Miracles'" APA Pacific Division Meeting, Berkeley, CA, April 1997.

"Homosexuality and Biblical Interpretation":

APA Central Division Meeting, Society for Lesbian and Gay Philosophy Session, Chicago, IL, April 25, 1996.
Coe Collee (IA), April 23, 1996.

APA Pacific Division Meeting, Seattle, April 5, 1996.
Mountain Plains Philosophy Conference, Santa Fe, October 27, 1995.

"Hosmer and the 'Why be Moral?' Question," Society for Business Ethics Meeting, Vancouver, August 4, 1995.
 

INVITED PUBLIC LECTURES (select listing)

"What's Morally Wrong With Homosexuality?"

Bowling Green State University (OH), November 5, 2002.
Cornell University (NY), October 10, 2002.
Lawrence Livermore National Research Laboratory (CA), June 21, 2002.
University of Texas at Austin, April 10, 2002; April 11, 1996; April 22, 1993; April 15, 1992.
Wayne State University (MI), March 1, 2000; March 25, 1999, February 20, 2002.
Grand Valley State University (MI), November 29, 2001.
University of Tennessee, November 16, 2001.
Central Michigan University, November 29, 2000.
Southwestern University (TX), April 13, 2000, October 12, 1995; November 9, 1993.
Georgia Southern University, March 30, 2000.
University of Michigan, October 12, 1999.
Southern Methodist University (TX), April 17, 1997.
Coe College (IA), April 24, 1996; March 11, 1993.
SUNY Stony Brook, November 17, 1993, November 22, 1992.
St. John's University (NY), November 24, 1992.
Vassar College (NY), November 3, 1992.
Texas A&M, October 12, 1992.

"Homosexuality, Morality, and Diversity

American Association for Affirmative Action Annual Conference, April 5, 2002.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, June 21, 2002.

HONORS AND AWARDS

Wayne State University College of Liberal Arts Research and Inquiry Grant (course release), Fall 2002
Wayne State University Humanities Center "City and Civic Virtue" Summer Grant, 2002.
Wayne State University Humanities Center "Innovative Projects in the Humanities" small grant, 2002
College of Liberal Arts Teaching Award, Wayne State University, May 1999
Departmental Teaching Award, The University of Texas at Austin: Spring 1996, Fall 1996, Spring 1997.
A.D. Hutchison Dissertation Fellowship, The University of Texas at Austin: Fall 1997 - Spring 1998

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Assistant Professor (Lecturer 1998-1999, Senior Lecturer 1999-2001), Wayne State University:

Courses taught include Graduate Seminar in Moral Realism, 20^th Century Analytic Ethics, Introduction to Ethics, Philosophy of Sex and Sexual Orientation, Professional Ethics, Contemporary Moral Issues, Introduction to Philosophical Systems

Contemporary Moral Problems, Fall 1995-Spring 1997

Logic (Spring 1995), Early Modern Philosophy (Fall 1994), Existentialism (Spring 1994), Introduction to Philosophy (Fall 1993), Business Ethics (Spring 1993), Philosophy of Religion (Fall 1992), Contemporary Moral Problems (Fall 1991-Spring 1992)

DEPARTMENTAL AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

Graduate Recruiter, since Fall 2001
Women's Studies Advisory Board, Wayne State University (WSU), since Winter 1999
Placement Committee, WSU Philosophy Department, since Fall 1998
Session Chair at 2000 APA Eastern Division Meeting
Referee for Blackwell Publishers, 1999
Referee for Business Ethics Quarterly, 1996.
Internal Affairs Committee, University of Texas at Austin (UT) Philosophy Department, Fall 1995-Fall 1996.
Elected Representative to the Dean's Committee on Review of the Chair, UT College of Liberal Arts, Spring 1995
Liaison to the Graduate Studies Committee, UT Philosophy Department, Fall 1993-Spring 1995