Bryan Chambliss is Visiting Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department at Susquehanna University. He received his PhD from the University of Arizona, where he also minored in Cognitive Science. His research focuses on issues in social cognition, consciousness and agency, though he is also interested in social epistemology and environmental ethics.
What excites you about philosophy?
For me, the main draw of philosophy has always been that philosophers can synthesize a wide range of materials into well-informed pictures of interesting phenomena. I spent most of my time as an undergraduate studying psychology and cognitive science. I was, and remain, really interested in what makes people tick. When I switched into philosophy, it was not due to a loss of interest in psychological phenomena, but rather because philosophy allowed me to study the mind without having to specialize in a single topic and research methodology. Since then, I’ve gotten interested in a broader range of issues, which has only served to further broaden the base upon which I seek to draw. So, the interdisciplinary and synthetic tendencies in philosophy are what drew me into the field, and what still excites me about it.
What are you working on right now?
Lately I’ve been writing papers about second-person thought. Most philosophers are familiar with irreducibly first-person thought in some form, e.g., cogito thoughts, de se thoughts, essentially indexical thoughts, etc. At some point in time, I became convinced that the underlying features that drive arguments for the irreducibility of first-person thought could be generalized into arguments for the irreducibility of second-person thought. Irreducibly second-person thought is poised to do important explanatory work, and to have some interesting epistemic properties. I’m particularly interested in how one might situate second-person thought into an account of social cognition. But I’m consciously trying to start this project at the beginning. So, I am currently finishing off two different papers in which I seek to expand familiar arguments for the irreducibility of first-person thought into arguments for the irreducibility of second-person thought.
What time of day are you most productive and creative?
Definitely in the morning. There is a sweet spot between when I have a cup of coffee in the morning and when I really start to interact with other people, get bogged down in email, etc. For a little while there, I’m awake and alert, but the internal monologue and other distractions are toned down. During this time I find it easier to just say what I mean to say. Additionally, I find exercising without listening to music, podcasts, etc., to be philosophically productive. Sometimes it yields more heat than light (e.g., just grokking the existential weirdness of living in the pandemic), but often enough it sends me rushing away to write down some thoughts.
What would your childhood self say if someone told you that you would grow up to be a philosopher?
My childhood self would have had little idea what that meant, but would have been pleased to hear about the development. As a little kid, I was always interested in stuff. Apparently, when my kindergarten teacher asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up, I told her that I wanted to be a paleontologist. She laughed, and asked me if I knew what that was. I did. From a young age, I was a voracious reader, with an active imagination, but I didn’t grow up around folks with pronounced philosophical interests. As a result, I came to philosophy quite late. It wasn’t until I went to college that I learned to recognize the kinds of issues that animated me as philosophical.
What do you like to do outside of work?
Growing up, I spent a lot of time outdoors, and I still like to get out whenever I can. I’ve gotten to do a fair amount of hiking and camping lately, which has been great. Also, I’ve spent most of my life living in warmer places, and have only recently moved to a place with a (semi-) real winter. The appeal of winter is still lost on me, but it gives me more time to spend reading and listening to music. I’ve always listened to a lot of music, but graduate school really stifled my non work-related reading. Lately I’ve been rediscovering reading for fun.
When did you last sing to yourself, or to someone else?
About 15 minutes ago. My life has a pretty constant soundtrack, and I produce large portions of it. While I don’t sing well, I do sing often.
This section of the APA Blog is designed to get to know our fellow philosophers a little better. We’re including profiles of APA members that spotlight what captures their interest not only inside the office, but also outside of it. We’d love for you to be a part of it, so please contact us via the interview nomination form here to nominate yourself or a friend.
Dr. Sabrina D. MisirHiralall is an editor at the Blog of the APA who currently teaches philosophy, religion, and education courses solely online for Montclair State University, Three Rivers Community College, and St. John’s University.
