William J. Earle

Email: william.earle@baruch.cuny.edu

William James Earle is Professor of Philosophy at Baruch College and the Graduate Center, The City University of New York. He received his Ph.D. from Columbia University, where he studied with Justus Buchler and Arthur Danto, and wrote a dissertation on William James entitled “James’s ‘Stream of Thought’ As Point of Departure for Metaphysics.”

He has taught at Baruch College since 1983. A former Woodrow Wilson and National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow, he has written many scholarly articles, including the article on William James in the Encyclopedia of Philosophy. His textbook, Introduction to Philosophy: A Guidebook, is used internationally. He thinks philosophy, at every level, has a single goal: to increase by all possible means clarity-of-mind or lucidity, and this focus is reflected in his approach to teaching, as well as his special affection for the introductory course. He specializes in contemporary metaphysics, whether from a continental or analytical perspective. Professor Earle is also the editor-in-chief of the international quarterly, The Philosophical Forum.