J. Clerk Shaw
J. Clerk Shaw
Associate Professor
I grew up in SE Minneapolis, MN (Prospect Park) and Schenectady, NY. I then attended Carleton College (BA, 1999) and Washington University in St. Louis (MA, 2003; PhD, 2007). I have been in the department at UTK ever since.
Outside of philosophy, my interests and hobbies include duplicate bridge, classical piano, vegetarian cooking, hiking, container gardening, and birding.
Research
My research focuses primarily on affect and its role in moral epistemology, both in ancient Greek philosophy and more generally. I have written especially on Plato’s views of pleasure and his positive ethical project in the Gorgias. I also work on Epicurean ethics, and I am developing two papers defending Epicurus’ views of pleasure and virtue against common objections. In the medium-term, I aim to synthesize ancient virtue ethics with empirical developmental psychology (especially the development of emotional [co-] regulation and mentalizing in attachment contexts).
Publications
For a full list of my publications please see my PhilPapers page.
Presentations
In the last five years:
“Our Pleasures, Our Selves: Affect and Character in Plato’s Philebus”
- University of Florida, department colloquium, March 2025
“How Virtue Produces Pleasure in Epicureanism”
- University of Florida, seminar presentation, March 2025
“The Incredible Vanishing Measure Doctrine (Theaetetus 170a3-171d8)”
- New England Working Group in Ancient Philosophy, October 2023
- CU-Boulder History of Philosophy Group, June 2022
- SAGP group meeting at the Pacific APA, April 2022
“Socrates and Coherent Desire: Gorgias 466b-468e” (co-authored with Eric Brown)
- U Mass-Amherst, seminar presentation, October 2023
“Plato on the Value of Reputation”
- Symposium on fame and glory at the Central APA, February 2023
“Epicurean Hedonism”
- University of Illinois-Chicago, seminar presentation, October 2022
Teaching
areas recently taught: ancient Greek philosophy; classical Chinese philosophy; medieval philosophy; philosophy of emotion