Stephen Maitzen
Education
M.A., Ph.D., Cornell University
Yale Law School
B.A. with Highest Distinction, Northwestern University
Current positions
W. G. Clark Professor of Philosophy, Acadia University
Chair, Research Ethics Board, Acadia University
Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Graduate Studies, Dalhousie University
Articles
"There Must Have Been a First Generation," forthcoming in Think: Philosophy for Everyone
"Normative Objections to Theism," forthcoming in The Blackwell Companion to Atheism and Philosophy, ed. Graham Oppy (Wiley-Blackwell)
"The Problem of Magic," in Does God Matter? Essays on the Axiological Consequences of Theism, ed. Klaas J. Kraay (Routledge, 2018), 132-146
"Substantial Change: Continuous, Consistent, Objective," The Journal of Philosophy 114:10 (2017), 551-562
"Naturalism and the Fundamental Question," Free Inquiry 37:5 (August/September 2017), 30-33
"Against Ultimacy," in Renewing Philosophy of Religion: Exploratory Essays, ed. Paul Draper and J. L. Schellenberg (Oxford University Press, 2017), 48-62
"Perfection, Evil, and Morality," in Ethics and the Problem of Evil, ed. James P. Sterba (Indiana University Press, 2017), 141-154
"Agnosticism, Skeptical Theism, and Moral Obligation," in Skeptical Theism: New Essays, ed. Trent Dougherty and Justin P. McBrayer (Oxford University Press, 2014), 277-292
"How Not to Argue from Science to Skepticism," International Journal for the Study of Skepticism 4:1 (2014): 21-35.
"Questioning the Question," in The Puzzle of Existence: Why is There Something Rather than Nothing?, ed. Tyron Goldschmidt (Routledge, 2013), 252-271
"Atheism and the Basis of Morality," in What Makes Us Moral?, ed. A. W. Musschenga and Anton van Harskamp (Springer, 2013), 257-269
"The Moral Skepticism Objection to Skeptical Theism," in The Blackwell Companion to the Problem of Evil, ed. Justin P. McBrayer and Daniel Howard-Snyder (Wiley-Blackwell, 2013), 444-457
"Stop Asking Why There's Anything," Erkenntnis 77:1 (2012), 51-63
"On God and Our Ultimate Purpose," Free Inquiry 31:2 (February/March 2011), 35-37
"Does God Destroy Our Duty of Compassion?" Free Inquiry 30:6 (October/November 2010), 52-53
"Reply to Pigden and Schurz," in Hume on Is and Ought, ed. Charles R. Pigden (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010), 320-324
"Moral Conclusions from Nonmoral Premises," in Hume on Is and Ought, ed. Charles R. Pigden (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010), 290-309
"On Gellman's Attempted Rescue," European Journal for Philosophy of Religion 2:1 (2010), 193-198
"A Dilemma for Skeptics," Teorema 29:1 (2010), 23-34
"Ordinary Morality Implies Atheism," European Journal for Philosophy of Religion 1:2 (2009), 107-126
"Skeptical Theism and Moral Obligation," International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 65 (2009), 93-103
"Anti-Autonomism Defended: A Reply to Hill," Philosophia 36:4 (2008), 567-574
"Does Molinism Explain the Demographics of Theism?" Religious Studies 44:4 (2008), 473-477
"Skeptical Theism and God's Commands," Sophia 46:3 (2007), 235-241
"CORNEA and Closure" (with Andrew Graham), Faith and Philosophy 24:1 (2007), 83-86
"God, Schmod, and Karma," The Athenaeum, Acadia University, October 19, 2006, p. 7
"The Impossibility of Local Skepticism," Philosophia 34:4 (2006), 453-464
"Divine Hiddenness and the Demographics of Theism," Religious Studies 42:2 (2006), 177-191
"Anselmian Atheism," Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 70:1 (2005), 225-239
"A Semantic Attack on Divine-Command Metaethics," Sophia 43:2 (2004), 15-28
"Newcomb's Hidden Regress" (with Garnett Wilson), Theory and Decision 54:2 (2003), 151-162
"Abortion in the Original Position," The Personalist Forum 15:2 (2003), 373-388
"Academic Freedom and the Ethics of Research," AUFA Communicator (February 2002), pp. 2-4
"Testing Debate Rages," Halifax Sunday Herald, March 28, 1999, p. C2
"Closing the 'Is'-'Ought' Gap," Canadian Journal of Philosophy 28:3 (1998), 349-366
"The Deal on Education," Halifax Sunday Herald, November 29, 1998, p. C2
"The Knower Paradox and Epistemic Closure," Synthese 114:2 (1998), 337-354
"Tennant, Frederick Robert," Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Volume 9, pp. 301-303 (1998)
"Diversity in the Classroom," Studies in Philosophy and Education 16:3 (1997), 293-302
"Should Philosophers Do the Continental?" The Watch (University of King's College), March 1997
"Our Errant Epistemic Aim," Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 55:4 (1995), 869-876
"God and Other Theoretical Entities," Topoi 14:2 (1995), 123-134
"Two Views of Religious Certitude," Religious Studies 28:1 (1992), 65-74
"Swinburne on Credal Belief," International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 29:3 (1991), 143-157
"The Ethics of Statistical Discrimination," Social Theory and Practice 17:1 (1991), 23-45
"Can Philosophers Communicate with Other Humanists?" Proceedings of the Mellon Fellows Conference in the Humanities, Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, 1991
Book reviews
Paul K. Moser, The Elusive God: Reorienting Religious Epistemology, Sophia 49:1 (2010), 149-151.
Michael Martin (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Atheism, in Social Theory and Practice 34:2 (2008), 293-299
Kai Nielsen, Naturalism and Religion, in Philosophy in Review 22:5 (2002), 311-313
C. Stephen Evans, Faith Beyond Reason, in Philosophy in Review 20:2 (2000), 98-99
Paul Helm, Belief Policies, in the Philosophical Review 106:3 (1997), 448-450
Linda Martín Alcoff, Real Knowing: New Versions of the Coherence Theory, in Philosophy in Review 16:6 (1996), 385-387
J. L. Schellenberg, Divine Hiddenness and Human Reason, in the Philosophical Review 104:1 (1995), 153-156
William P. Alston, Perceiving God: The Epistemology of Religious Experience, in the Philosophical Review 102:3 (1993), 430-432
Conference papers and presentations
"Some Moral Costs of Theism," St. Mary's University, 2016
"Theism and the Problem of Magic," Ryerson University, 2015
"On God and Our Ultimate Purpose," Acadia University, 2012
"God vs. Morality," Amherst College, 2011 (audio here)
"On God and Our Ultimate Purpose," Dalhousie University, 2011
"What Makes Us Moral?" Vrije Universiteit (VU University) Amsterdam, 2011
"On God and Our Ultimate Purpose," Acadia University, 2011
"From Morality to Atheism," Boston University, 2010
"Does God Threaten Morality?: A Debate," Acadia University, 2010
"Why Is There Anything?" Western Michigan University, 2009
"Issues in Human Subjects Research Ethics," Western Michigan University, 2009
"Why Is There Anything?" Dalhousie University, 2009
"God, Evil, and Morality: A Debate," Acadia University, 2008
"Skeptical Theism and Moral Obligation," American Philosophical Association Eastern Division Meeting, 2007
"Skeptical Theism and Moral Obligation," Atlantic Region Philosophers Association Annual Conference, 2007
"A Dilemma for Skeptics," Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2007
"Anselmian Atheism Revisited," Boston University, 2007
"Divine Hiddenness and the Demographics of Theism," Boston University, 2007
"Ordinary Morality Implies Atheism," American Philosophical Association Eastern Division Meeting, 2006
"Dreaming Gets the Skeptic Nowhere," American Philosophical Association Eastern Division Meeting, 2006
Commentary on Andrew Spear, "The Coherence of Rationalism," American Philosophical Association Central Division Meeting, 2006
"God: Enemy of Morality?" Acadia University, 2006
"Ordinary Morality Implies Atheism," Dalhousie University, 2006
"Skeptical Theism and Ordinary Morality," University of Dundee, 2006
"How Not to Argue from Science to Skepticism," University of Edinburgh, 2006
"How Not to Argue from Science to Skepticism," University of Glasgow, 2006
"The Impossibility of Local Skepticism," University of Stirling, 2006
"How Not to Argue from Science to Skepticism," Dalhousie University, 2006
"Divine Hiddenness and the Demographics of Theism," Atlantic Region Philosophers Association Annual Conference, 2004
"Anselmian Atheism," Canadian Philosophical Association Congress, 2003
Commentary on Bernard D. Katz, "On the Limits of Divine Power," Canadian Philosophical Association Congress, 2003
"Local Skepticism," Atlantic Region Philosophers Association Annual Conference, 2002
"A Semantic Attack on Divine-Command Metaethics," Canadian Philosophical Association Congress, 2002
"Newcomb's Hidden Regress" (with Garnett Wilson), Canadian Philosophical Association Congress, 2002
"Newcomb's Hidden Regress" (with Garnett Wilson), American Philosophical Association Central Division Meeting, 2002
Commentary on Paul Schollmeier, "Accidental Deities," Canadian Philosophical Association Congress, 2001
"Newcomb's Hidden Regress" (with Garnett Wilson), Atlantic Region Philosophers Association Annual Conference, 2000
"Newcomb's Hidden Regress" (with Garnett Wilson), Dalhousie University, 2000
"Anselmian Atheism," Gifford Bequest International Conference, Scotland, 2000
"The End of Theology?" Atlantic Region Philosophers Association Annual Conference, 1999
"Abortion in the Original Position," Fifth International Conference on Persons, New Mexico, U.S.A., 1999
"Abortion in the Original Position," Dalhousie University, 1999
"Can We Think About God?"Acadia University, 1999
"Anselm's Antinomy," Dalhousie University, 1999
"Moral Skepticism Totters," Canadian Philosophical Association Congress, 1998
"The Knower Paradox and Epistemic Closure," American Philosophical Association Central Division Meeting, 1998
"A Semantic Attack on Divine Command Metaethics," Dalhousie University, 1998
"The Knower Paradox and Epistemic Closure," Canadian Philosophical Association Congress, 1997
"'Ought' from 'Is' Once More: Moral Conclusions from Nonmoral Premises," American Philosophical Association Central Division Meeting, 1997
"Sokal's Hoax: Postmodern Critiques of Science," University of King's College, 1997
"Diversity in the Classroom," Atlantic Region Philosophers Association Annual Conference, 1996
"Modality in Plantinga's Free Will Defense," Mid-South Philosophy Conference, Tennessee, U.S.A., 1996
"The Knower Paradox and Epistemic Closure," Dalhousie University, 1996
"Moral Conclusions from Nonmoral Premises," Acadia University, 1996
"'Ought' from 'Is' Once and for All," Dalhousie University, 1996
"The Instability of Moral Skepticism," Dalhousie University, 1995
"The Instability of Moral Skepticism," New York State Philosophical Association Annual Conference, 1995
"The Instability of Moral Skepticism," Central States Philosophical Association, Tennessee, U.S.A., 1994
"The Real Epistemic Aim," New York State Philosophical Association Annual Conference, 1992
"Can Philosophers Communicate with Other Humanists?" Conference of Mellon Fellows in the Humanities, Bryn Mawr College, 1991
Commentary on Michael Brown, "Idolatry, Skepticism, and the Extent of Doxastic Reliability," Conference on the Epistemology of Religious Belief, Santa Clara University, 1991
Grants, awards, distinctions
Acadia University Research Fund Grant, 2007
Nominated for the Distinguished Teacher Award, Association of Atlantic Universities, 2006
Acadia University Research Fund Grant, 2006
Excellence in Teaching Award, Associated Alumni of Acadia University, 2006
Visiting Fellow of the Knowledge, Mind and Value Project, University of Stirling, Scotland, 2006
Acadia University: Special Institutional Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, 2005
Acadia Students' Union Teaching Recognition Award, 2004-2005
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada: Standard Research Grant for 2002-2005
Acadia University Research Fund Grant, 2002
Acadia University: Special Institutional Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, 2001
Acadia University: Special Institutional Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, 2000
Acadia University: Special Institutional Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, 1999
Nominated for Award for Excellence in Teaching, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Dalhousie University, 1998
Dalhousie University, Faculty of Graduate Studies, Research Development Fund Grant, 1996
Mellon Fellowships in the Humanities (Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation): Dissertation Fellowship, 1991
Mellon Fellowships in the Humanities (Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation): Graduate Fellowship, 1987-1991
Phi Beta Kappa (elected in third year), Northwestern University, 1985
Graduate students
External Reader and Examiner for M.A. Thesis, Must a Good God be Moral? An Exploration of Agatheism, by Michael D. Ashfield (Acadia University, 2009)
Supervisor for M.A. Thesis, The Role of the Imagination in Modal Inquiry: A Critical Examination of Conventionalism, by Margaret Cameron (Dalhousie University, 1997)
Supervisor for M.A. Thesis, The Philosophy of Time Travel, by G. Matthew Gilmore (Dalhousie University, 1997)
Supervisor for M.A. Thesis, An Intuitive Challenge to Naturalized Epistemology, by Travis Hreno (Dalhousie University, 1996)
Supervisor for M.A. Thesis, A Critical Survey of Contextualist Epistemology, by Antonia LoLordo (Dalhousie University, 1996)
Third Reader for M.A. Thesis, An Account of and Response to Externalist Reliabilism, by Andrew Fenton (Dalhousie University, 1995)
Service (at Acadia University)
Chair, University Research Ethics Board, 1999-
Head, Department of Philosophy, 2004-2008, 2017-2020
Acting Head, Department of Philosophy, 2003-2004
Member, University Appeals Committee, 2017-2018
Member, Senate Admissions and Academic Standing Committee (Appeals), 2016-2019
Chair, Faculty of Arts Council, 2015-2016
Chair, Faculty of Arts Steering Committee, 2015-2016
Panelist, AskPhilosophers.org, 2012-
AUFA Representative to ANSUT, 2013-2014
Chair, Philosophy Department Selection Committee, 2011
Member, Faculty of Arts Strategic Committee, 2010-2012
Mentor, Residential Faculty Mentorship Program, 2008-
Member, Arts Faculty Planning Committee, 2003-2005, 2006-2008
Chair, Philosophy Department Selection Committee, 2000-2001, 2002-2003
Member, ASPC Task Force on High-Quality Learning, 2000-2001
Programme Committee, Canadian Philosophical Association, 2001-2002
Member, Senate Academic Discipline Appeals Committee, 2000-2001
AUFA Representative to the Committee to Review the University Sexual Harassment Policy, 2000-2001
Library Representative, Department of Philosophy 1999-2006, 2007-2008
Webmaster, Department of Philosophy, 1999-
University representative to the Canadian Philosophical Association, 2001-2003
Referee for Australasian Journal of Philosophy, Canadian Journal of Philosophy, Dialogue: Canadian Philosophical Review, Erkenntnis, Ethics, European Journal for Philosophy of Religion, International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, Journal of Philosophical Research, Philosophia, Philosophical Quarterly, Philosophy & Phenomenological Research, Religious Studies, Sophia, Canadian Philosophical Association, MIT Press