Dr Daniel Watts
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Email
dpwatts@essex.ac.uk -
Location
6.123, Colchester Campus
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Academic support hours
Spring 2025: Wednesdays & Thursdays, 10-11am
Profile
Biography
Dan Watts has been at Essex since 2007. Prior to that, he completed his doctoral work in philosophy at the University of Sheffield, having also studied history and philosophy as an undergraduate there. He taught Continental Philosophy at Trinity College Dublin for two years, and then took up a postdoctoral fellowship awarded by the Irish Research Council for Humanities and Social Sciences. Dan's principal research interests are in Kierkegaard, Wittgenstein, and the phenomenological tradition. He has published several papers in these areas, in journals such as The European Journal of Philosophy and Mind. He was Co-Investigater on the AHRC-funded research project 'The Ethics of Powerlessness: the Theological Virtues Today'. He is currently working on a book-length study on Kierkgaard, subjectivity, and thought.
Qualifications
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BA Sheffield
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PhD Sheffield
Appointments
University of Essex
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Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Essex (1/8/2007 - present)
Research and professional activities
Research interests
Kierkegaard
Wittgenstein
The theory of judgement
Medical Humanities
Existentialism and phenomenology
Moral and political philosophy and
Philosophy of religion
Current research
Dan is currently working on a book entitled, Thinking Humanly: Kierkegaard on Subjectivity and Thought; and on papers on Kierkegaard on the limits of thought, ethical repetition and truth.
Dan is also Co-Investigator on the three-year AHRC-funded research project, The Ethics of Powerlessness: The Theological Virtues Today.
Teaching and supervision
Current teaching responsibilities
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Living a Good Life: Critical Approaches to Wellness and Happiness (PA107)
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Philosophy and Religion (PY407)
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Topics in the Philosophy of Religion (PY427)
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Topics in Analytic Philosophy (PY430)
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Kierkegaard (PY946)
Current supervision
Previous supervision
Degree subject: Philosophy
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 13/8/2024
Degree subject: Philosophy
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 21/11/2023
Degree subject: Philosophy
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 20/4/2020
Degree subject: Philosophy
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 19/11/2018
Degree subject: Philosophy
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 12/9/2018
Degree subject: Philosophy
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 17/1/2018
Degree subject: Philosophy
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 4/12/2015
Degree subject: Philosophy
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 1/7/2015
Degree subject: Philosophy
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 6/5/2015
Degree subject: Philosophy
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 25/10/2013
Degree type: Master of Arts (by Dissertation)
Awarded date: 16/1/2012
Publications
Journal articles (22)
Watts, D., Review: Reason and Conversion in Kierkegaard and German Idealism. British Journal for the History of Philosophy
Watts, D., (2024). The Ethical Problem of Evil. Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society. 124 (3), aoae012-aoae012
Watts, D., (2022). Participation in Grace: Kierkegaard's Corrective to Luther. Studies in Christian Ethics. 35 (4), 765-785
Furnal, J. and Watts, D., (2022). Guest Editorial: Special issue Introduction. Studies in Christian Ethics. 35 (4), 681-683
Watts, D., (2022). Reason and Conversion in Kierkegaard and the German Idealists. British Journal for the History of Philosophy. 30 (1), 193-197
Watts, D., (2021). Between Action and Suffering: Kierkegaard on Ambiguous Guilt. International Journal on Humanistic Ideology. XI (1), 169-198
Watts, D. and Stern, R., (2019). Valuing Humanity: Kierkegaardian Worries about Korsgaardian Transcendental Arguments. International Journal of Philosophy and Theology. 80 (4-5), 424-442
Watts, D., (2019). The Fullness of Time: Kierkegaardian Themes in Dreyer's Ordet. Religions. 10 (1), 58-58
Watts, D., (2018). Kierkegaard and the Limits of Thought. Hegel Bulletin. 39 (1), 82-105
Watts, D., (2018). Kierkegaard on Truth: One or Many?. Mind. 127 (505), 197-223
Watts, D., (2017). Rule-Following and Rule-Breaking: Kierkegaard and Wittgenstein. European Journal of Philosophy. 25 (4), 1159-1185
Watts, D., (2017). The Problem of Kierkegaard's Socrates. Res Philosophica. 94 (4), 555-579
Watts, D., (2017). Kierkegaard, Repetition and Ethical Constancy. Philosophical Investigations. 40 (4), 414-439
Watts, D., (2015). Recent Work on Kierkegaard. British Journal for the History of Philosophy. 23 (1), 185-192
Watts, D., (2013). Kierkegaard and the Search for Self‐Knowledge. European Journal of Philosophy. 21 (4), 525-549
Watts, D., (2013). Kierkegaard and Death. British Journal for the History of Philosophy. 21 (2), 415-417
Watts, D., (2013). Review of P Stokes and A J Buben (eds) (2011). Kierkegaard and Death. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. British Journal for the History of Philosophy. 21 (2), 415-417
Watts, D., (2012). The Exemplification of Rules: An Appraisal of Pettit’s Approach to the Problem of Rule-following. International Journal of Philosophical Studies. 20 (1), 69-90
Watts, D., (2011). Dilemmatic Deliberations In Kierkegaard’s Fear and Trembling. Faith and Philosophy. 28 (2), 174-189
Watts, D., (2010). Subjective Thinking: Kierkegaard on Hegel's Socrates. Hegel Bulletin. 61 (1), 23-44
Watts, D., (2008). Kierkegaard's Concept of Despair. Journal of Moral Philosophy. 5 (1), 166-168
Watts, D., (2007). The paradox of beginning: Hegel, Kierkegaard and philosophical inquiry. Inquiry. 50 (1), 5-33
Book chapters (5)
Watts, D. and Stern, R., "Love's Object, Love's Aim". In: Kierkegaard’s Works of Love: A Critical Guide. Editors: Hanson, J. and Kaftanski, W., . Cambridge University Press
Watts, D., Agency and Contemplation: Neptic Themes in Kierkegaard. In: Kierkegaard and Mysticism. Editors: Becker-Lindenthal, H., . Routledge
Watts, D., (2023). Illusions of Ethical Independence: the Last Word in Either/Or. In: Kierkegaard's Either/Or A Critical Guide. Editors: Kemp, R. and Wietzke, W., . Cambridge University Press. 204- 220. 9781009067713
Watts, D., (2022). Love's Telos: Kierkegaard's Critique of Preferential Love. In: Philosophy of Love in the Past, Present and Future. Editors: Grahle, A., McKeever, N. and Saunders, J., . Routledge. 54- 72. 9781003014331
Watts, D., (2013). Søren Kierkegaard. In: Oxford Bibliographies in Philosophy. Editors: Pritchard, D., . Oxford University Press
Conferences (1)
Watts, D., Faith, Hope and Love as Virtues in Modernity
Dataset (1)
Watts, D., (2013).Søren Kierkegaard
Grants and funding
2014
The Ethics of Powerlessness: The Theological Virtues Today
Arts And Humanities Research Council
Contact
Academic support hours:
Spring 2025: Wednesdays & Thursdays, 10-11am