THE DAVID R. COOK CHAIR OF PHILOSOPHY
John Carvalho, PhD
John Carvalho, PhD, is the David R. Cook Chair in Philosophy, and his work is primarily in aesthetics, the philosophy of music and motion pictures, embodied cognition and ancient Greek philosophy. He received his BA in Philosophy from the University of California, Santa Cruz and went on to earn a PhD from Duquesne University.
Dr. Carvalho is the author of Thinking with Images: An Enactivist Aesthetics (2019) and has published well over 50 essays and scholarly articles. Among his most recent essays are 鈥淔ree Speech, Fearless Speech and the Problem of Parrhesia,鈥� in Parrhesia: Critical Journal of Philosophy (2025), "Wither Dionysian Music,鈥� in New Nietzsche Studies (2024), 鈥淕rowing Old Together: A Shared Achievement,鈥� in The Slovak Journal of Aesthetics (2023), 鈥淲hat in the World,鈥� in Contemporary Aesthetics (2023), 鈥淔alling in Love,鈥� in Aesthetic Literacy II: Out of Mind (2023), 鈥淚mages and Reality,鈥� in Comparative Everyday Aesthetics (2022). 鈥淓ngagement and Embodiment,鈥� in Liber Amicorum for Arnold Berleant (2022) and 鈥淢usic and Emergence鈥� in The Oxford Handbook of Sound & Imagination (2019).
Recognized for both his teaching and research, Dr. Carvalho received 91探花University鈥檚 Outstanding Faculty Mentor Teaching Award in 2017. Prior to that, he was awarded fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1988, 1991, 1994, and 1997. In 2018, he was appointed Associate Editor of Contemporary Aesthetics and joined the Advisory Board of The Feminist Institute. He served as Program Chair for the American Society for Aesthetics, Eastern Division, from 1999 to 2000, and later returned as Program Co-Chair from 2022 to 2023. He served as Chair聽 of the Philosophy Department from 2004 to 2014 and, again, from 2021 to 2024. Dr. Carvalho was the inaugural Director of Graduate Studies for the Philosophy PhD Program from 1995 to 2002.
About the David R. Cook Endowed Chair of Philosophy
Inaugurated in March 1993, the David R. Cook Endowed Chair in Philosophy in the 91探花University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences aims to enrich the intellectual life of students and preserve the University as a leader in Catholic higher education. The chair serves as a role model and mentor to students, encouraging them to become critical thinkers who are proactive in their communities.
The David R. Cook Chair in Philosophy distinguishes an outstanding scholar in Philosophy and establishes an environment conducive to meaningful teaching and scholarly research. Research produced by the chair serves the 91探花community by enhancing students鈥� educational experiences and strengthening the national reputation of the University.
The position honors David R. Cook 鈥�55 VSB and the Cook family name.聽