CV
Benjamin Mitchell-Yellin
EMPLOYMENT Sam Houston State University: Director of Academic Initiatives & Strategy (Fall 2023 - )
Associate Professor of Philosophy (Fall 2021 - )
Associate Director for Development, Engaging Classrooms (Fall 2021 - Summer 2023)
Assistant Professor of Philosophy (Fall 2015 - Spring 2021)
Engaged Learning Fellow (Fall 2019-Spring 2021)
Philosophy Program Coordinator (Fall 2018)
UC Riverside: Postdoc on the Immortality Project (Fall 2012 - Spring 2015)
EDUCATION PhD: UC Riverside (2012)
MA: Boston College (2007)
BA (w/Honors): Residential College, UM Ann Arbor (2002)
(Major: Creative Writing and Literature)
AOS Ethics, Action, Social Philosophy, Philosophy of Education
AOC Race, Law, Biomedical Ethics, Mind, Logic
BOOK
Near-Death Experiences: Understanding Visions of the Afterlife(w/ John Martin Fischer), New York: Oxford University Press (2016).
JOURNAL ARTICLES
14. "Engaging Classroom Observation: A Brief Measure of Active Learning in the Classroom," (with Chase Young and George K. Randall) forthcoming in Active Learning in Higher Education.
13. "Don't Believe the Hype: Why ChatGPT May Breathe New Life into College Writing Instruction," forthcoming in Teaching Philosophy.
12. "Racism Is Necessarily Immoral," forthcoming in Social Theory and Practice.
11. “Generating Ownership of Learning and Community in the Classroom through an Interconnected Sequence of Assignments,” American Philosophical Association Studies on Teaching Philosophy (Fall 2022): 2-8.
10. "Reflections on Meaning and Immortality," Ergo 8: 8 (Dec. 2021). doi: https://doi.org/10.3998/ergo.1145
9. “A View of Racism: 2016 and America’s Original Sin,” Journal of Ethics & Social Philosophy 13 (March 2018): 53-72.
(Subject of a PEA Soup discussion, with a critical introduction by Tommy J. Curry.)
8. “Unraveling the Knot: On Race, Racism, and Human History,” Think 17 (Autumn 2018): 61-74.
7. “S5 for Aristotelian Actualists” (w/ Michael Nelson), Philosophical Studies 173 (June 2016): 1537-1569.
6. “Deep Reflection: In Defense of Korsgaard’s Orthodox Kantianism,” Res Philosophica 93 (Jan. 2016): 1-25.
5. “Aligning with the Good,” Journal of Ethics & Social Philosophy(July 2015): 1-8.
4. “The Platonic Model: Statement, Clarification and Defense,” Philosophical Explorations 18 (Sept. 2015): 378-392.
3. “Immortality and Boredom,” (w/John Martin Fischer) The Journal of Ethics18 (Dec. 2014): 353-372.
2. “The Near-Death Experience Argument Against Physicalism: A Critique,” (w/ John Martin Fischer) Journal of Consciousness Studies21 (Jul./Aug. 2014): 158-183.
1. “In Defense of the Platonic Model: A Reply to Buss,” Ethics124 (Jan. 2014): 342-357.
BOOK CHAPTERS AND INVITED ARTICLES
6. "Commentary: Three Views on Morality, Critical Thinking, and Education," for Frank Fair and Dan Fasko, Jr., eds., Critical thinking and moral development: Philosophy, psychology, education, and assessment (Brill, forthcoming).
5. “How to Live a Never-Ending Novela,” for Michael Cholbi and Travis Timmerman, eds., Exploring the Philosophy of Death: Classical and Contemporary Perspectives (Routledge, 2021)
4. “Understanding Near-Death Experiences: A Response to Mays and Mays’s Review,” Journal of Near-Death Studies 36 (Winter 2017): 100-109.
3. “(Not) Riding into the Sunset: The Significance of Endings,” (w/ John Martin Fischer) in Zachary Goldberg, ed., reflections on responsibility: Essays in Honor of Peter French, Cham: Springer (2017): 201-218.
2. “The Significance of an Afterlife,” in John Davis, ed., Ethics at the End of Life: New Issues and Arguments, New York: Routledge (2017): 47-60.
1. “Immortality,” (w/ John Martin Fischer) special issue of The Journal of Ethics (Dec. 2015): 231-236.
BOOK REVIEWS
3. “Review of Suzy Killmister, Taking the Measure of Autonomy: A Four-Dimensional Theory of Self-Governance,” Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews(March 2018).
(Subject of a PEA Soup forum, with a reply by Killmister.)
2. “Review of Randolph Clarke, Michael McKenna, and Angela Smith, eds., The Nature of Moral Responsibility: New Essays,” Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews(Jan. 2016).
1. “Review of Robert N. Johnson’s Self-Improvement: An Essay in Kantian Ethics,”Journal of Moral Philosophy11 (June 2014): 535-538.
FOR A POPULAR AUDIENCE
14. "Why You Shouldn't Use ChatGPT," Inside Higher Ed (Dec. 12, 2023)
13. "Power to the People," The Raven: A Magazine of Philosophy (Oct. 10, 2023)
12. “Conversation-Starter: Teaching Philosophy in an Age of Large Language Modules,” Daily Nous (Aug. 31, 2022)
11. “Lessons from the Struggle Against the Old McCarthyism,” Inside Higher Ed (Feb. 24, 2022)
10. “Racism with Racists: Systemic Racism Rightly Understood,” Liberal Currents (Dec. 6, 2021)
9. “How to Believe Ghost Stories,” The Atlantic (Oct. 28, 2021)
8. “How Climate Change Threatens Meaning in Life,” Blog of the APA (Sept. 13, 2021); reprinted at Psychology Today
7. “Race, Class, and the True Roots of American Inequality,” Counterpunch (Aug. 28, 2020)
6. “Thinking Outside the Box,” The Huntsville Item (July 20, 2020)
5. Life, Death, and the Self (a blog at Psychology Today)
4. “Science, sincerity, and transformation of near-death experiences” (at the OUP Blog)
3. “What Can We Learn from Near-Death Experiences?,” Interview with Houston Public Media(Oct. 2016; re-aired Oct. 2017)
2. “The Case for Treating Near-Death Experiences Like Acid Trips,” Interview at Religion Dispatches(Aug. 2016)
1. “Beyond the Dark Podcast,” Interview on Radio City Talk (Aug. 2016)
WORK IN PROGRESS
3. Paper on Program Assessment (in progress)
2. Paper on Systemic Injustice (in progress)
1. Paper on Valuing (committed)
PRESENTATIONS
40. "Ethics, AI, and Higher Ed," AI@SHSU Mini-Conference, March 26, 2024
39. "On Valuing," 2023 New Orleans Workshop on Agency and Responsibility 7, November 9, 2023
38. "How the World Stays White Side Up," 2023 Great Lakes Philosophy Conference, April 14-16, 2023 (remote)
37. "Writing-Intensive Instruction in the Age of LLMs," Pacific APA, April 8, 2023
36. “The Power of Space: Removing the Physical Barriers to Active Learning,” The 19th Annual SHSU Teaching & Learning Conference, August 18, 2022
35. “On Valuing,” Rocky Mountain Ethics Congress XV, University of Colorado, August 14, 2022
34. “On Valuing,” FLAWS 7, Pepperdine University, October 22, 2021 (remote)
33. "Scaffolding Using Templates," SHSU Teaching and Learning Conference, August 13, 2020 (remote)
32. "What's Wrong with Racism," Symposium on the Moral Psychology of Racism, Eastern APA, Philadelphia, January 10, 2020
31. "On the Blameworthiness of Slaveholders," FLAWS 5, Loyola Marymount/Pepperdine, October 26, 2019
30. "The Meaning of Life Extension," Texas Ethics Workshop, Texas Christian University, February 8, 2019
29. “What’s Wrong with Racism,” FLAWS 4, University of Houston, November 2, 2018
28. “What’s Wrong with Racism,” University of Minnesota, Duluth, October 18, 2018 (colloquium)
27. “Valuing and the True Self,” Sam Houston State University, September 27, 2018 (colloquium)
26. “Valuing and the True Self,” University of Houston, September 7, 2018 (colloquium)
25. “The Platonic Model 2.0,” Rocky Mountain Ethics Congress, University of Colorado, August 10, 2018 (poster)
24. “The Platonic Model 2.0,” Pacific APA, March 30, 2018
23. “A View of Racism: 2016 and America’s Original Sin,” 5thAnnual Philosophers’ Cocoon Philosophy Conference, University of Tampa, October 14, 2017
22. “The Drive to Dominate,” Sam Houston State University, October 11, 2017 (colloquium)
21. “The Platonic Model 2.0,” FLAWS 3, West Virginia University, September 22, 2017
20. Invited panelist for "When the Bell Tolls," a Bookend Event of the 2016 Brooklyn Book Festival, September 17, 2016
19. Author-meets-critic session on Near-Death Experiencesat the 2016 Conference of the International Association for the Philosophy of Death and Dying, Syracuse University, May 18, 2016
18. “Human Agency and Values,” Sam Houston State University, March 5, 2015
17. “Human Agency and Values,” DePauw University, February 18, 2015
16. Invited contributor to “The History of Mortality: Interdisciplinary Perspectives,” the University of California Humanities Research Institute, January 23, 2015
15. “Human Agency and Values,” University of Redlands, October 1, 2014 (colloquium)
14. “How Not to Argue about Self-Governance,” University of San Francisco, Aug. 2013
13. “Two Interpretations of Contractualist Moral Agency” Pacific APA, March 2013
12. “Self-Governance, Moral Responsibility and Weakness of Will: In Defense of the Platonic Model” Rocky Mountain Ethics Congress, University of Colorado, Aug. 2011
11. “Self-Governance and Moral Responsibility,” Moral Responsibility: Analytic Approaches, Substantive Accounts and Case Studies, Ghent, Belgium, Oct. 2010
10. “Might Intentions Be Reasons?” NYU/Columbia Graduate Student Philosophy Conference, Columbia University, April 2010
9. “A Dilemma for Setiya’s Virtue Theory of Reasons” Action, Agency, and Explanation, University of Toronto, May 2009
8. “Two Worries about Current Methodology in Empirical Moral Psychology” Ohio State University Philosophy Graduate Conference, Ohio State University, May 2008
7. “Disambiguating All-Things-Considered-‘Ought’ Statements,” Society for Student Philosophers, Pacific APA, March, 2008
6. “Disambiguating All-Things-Considered-‘Ought’ Statements,” FSU Graduate Student Philosophy Conference, Florida State University, Sept. 2007
5. “Agent-Based Virtues: Fundamental Moral Concepts and the Human Agent,” Boston College Philosopher’s Forum, Boston College, February, 2007
4. “Practical Moral Luck and Future Success,” Hawaii International Conference on the Arts and Humanities, Honolulu, Hawaii, Jan. 2007
3. “Agent-Based Virtues: Fundamental Moral Concepts and the Human Agent,” REALIA Summer Conference, Burlington, Vermont, Aug. 2006
2. “Who is Coco Bryce?: A Case Study in Personal Identity,” Gateway Graduate Philosophy Conference, University of Missouri, St. Louis, May 2006
1. “Counter-Intuitionist: A Defense of Classical Quantifier Exchange,” Kent State University May 4thGraduate Student Philosophy Conference, Kent State University, March 2006
COMMENTS
7. “Comments on Marius Pascale’s ‘Morbid, Morose, and Moral,” 5thAnnual Philosophers’ Cocoon Philosophy Conference, University of Tampa, October 15, 2017
6. “Comments on Buehler’s ‘Attention, and Agential Control of Bodily Action’” Pacific APA, April 2014
5. “Comments on Buehler’s ‘Attention, and Agential Control of Bodily Action’” Pacific APA, April 2014
4. “Comments on Davis and Rantanen,” California Polytechnic University, Pomona, Mini-Conference on Radial Life Extension, March 2014
3. “Comments on Robinson’s ‘The Limits of “Limited-Blockage” Frankfurt-Style Cases’” Pacific APA, April 2012
2. “Comments on Eason’s ‘The Ownership Condition of Guidance Control: Responding to Empirical Challenges” Rocky Mountain Ethics Congress, University of Colorado, Aug. 2010
1. “Comments on Coffey’s ‘The Mere Means Principle and the Expressive Nature of Treating: How Parfit Got it Wrong,” FSU Graduate Student Philosophy Conference, Florida State University, Sept. 2007
GRANTS
“CourseGateway Pilot Project” (Site Lead) - $10,000 (Educause, awarded January 23, 2024)
“Teaching the Medical Humanities and Social Sciences” (Co-PI) - $4,000 (SHSU CHSS, awarded Dec. 1, 2023)
“Building Community and Success through Institutionalized and Culturally responsive Support
Systems” (Co-PI) – $2.2 million (NSF, awarded May 4, 2023)
“Sam Houston State’s Initiative on Slavery, Race, and Reconciliation” (Co-PI) – $4,000 (CHSS,
awarded Jan. 9, 2023)
“Medical and Health Humanities” (named collaborator) – $149,992 (NEH, awarded Jan. 2023)
Assessment Mini-Grant (SHSU; PI w/ Glenn Sanford) – $1,000 (Spring 2020- Spring 2021)
Teaching Innovation Grant (SHSU; PI w/ Glenn Sanford and Zachary Bachman) – $7,400 (Spring
2020 – Summer 2021)
HONORS AND AWARDS
American Philosophical Association Public Philosophy Op-Ed Contest Winner (2019)
Engaged Learning Fellow (SHSU Fall 2019 – Spring 2021)
PEA Soup Award: Best Discussion Originator, 2nd Place (w/ Tommy J. Curry) (2018)
Nominee for the University Excellence in Teaching Award (SHSU 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023)
Outstanding Teaching Assistant (UCR Spring 2012)
Dissertation Year Fellowship (UCR Fall 2011 - Winter 2012)
Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship Finalist (2011)
Travel Grant (UCR 2011, 2010)
Chancellor’s Distinguished Fellowship (UCR Fall 2007 - Spring 2008)
Robertson Award (excellence in creative writing) (UM Residential College 2003)
University Honors (UM 2002)
SERVICE TO THE PROFESSION
Referee
European Journal of Philosophy, Philosophical Explorations, Disputatio, Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, Pacific Philosophical Quarterly, Res Philosophica, Canadian Journal of Philosophy, Philosophical Studies, Mind, Philosophia, Australasian Journal of Philosophy, Law and Philosophy, Consciousness and Cognition, Southern Journal of Philosophy, Journal of the American Philosophical Association, Theoria, Oxford Studies in Experimental Philosophy, Journal of Ethics & Social Philosophy, Journal of Consciousness Studies, Analysis, Journal of Ethics, MIT Press, Routledge, Bloomsbury
Member
American Philosophical Association
American Association of University Professors
International Association for the Philosophy of Death and Dying
Abstract Evaluator for the 2018 IAPDD Conference
Session Chair at the Pacific APA(April 2011; April 2010)
EDITORIAL AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Journal Liaison for PEA Soup and Ethical Theory and Moral Practice (Fall 2019 - Spring 2022)
Engaging Explorations active learning pedagogy workshop (May 2021)
Writing in the Disciplines follow-up workshop (February 2020)
Online Course Re-Design and Certification Workshop (March 2019)
Writing in the Disciplines pedagogical workshop (May 2016)
Background materials for the Immortality Project (www.sptimmortalityproject.com)
Author of Companion Site materials for S. M. Cahn’s Exploring Philosophy (4thEd.)
Research Assistant for development of Oxford Scholarship Online abstracts for Gary Watson’s Agency and Answerability
Index for Manuel Vargas’ Building Better Beings
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
SHSU, Department of Psychology & Philosophy
Philosophy of Law
Philosophy of Crime and Justice
Contemporary Moral Issues
Death and Dying
Introduction to Philosophy
Honors Seminars: Frankenstein (co-taught), Voting and Elections (co-taught), American Incarceration (co-taught), Domination (organizer)
UCR, Department of Philosophy
Biomedical Ethics
Ethics
Ethics and the Meaning of Life
Philosophy of Law
Introduction to Logic
Ethics Seminar: Contemporary Virtue Ethics