Matt Sayball

Matt Sayball
Graduate Student

Office Hours

By appointment

Office Location

South Hall 5706

Specialization

Research Interests

  • Bioethics
  • Epistemology
  • Metaphysics
  • Moral Philosophy

Education

  • B.A. in Philosophy and Religion, University of North Carolina Wilmington (2006)
  • M.A. in Philosophy, Virginia Tech (2009)
  • M.A. in Philosophy, University of California, Santa Barbara (2015)
  • C.Phil. in Philosophy, University of California, Santa Barbara (2015)

Research

My research concerns the philosophy of dementia. The philosophy of dementia is a research program that aims to improve philosophical theory through reflections on clinical practice and improve clinical practice through reflections on philosophical theory, and it aims to bridge literatures that are otherwise mostly disjoined.

In my dissertation, I analyze moral and bioethical issues concerning dementia and those afflicted with dementia in the light of reflection on classical and contemporary philosophical discussions of persons and selves. In addition, I analyze classical and contemporary philosophical discussions of persons and selves as well as self-knowledge and self-awareness in the light of reflection on discussions of issues concerning dementia and those afflicted with dementia. I defend the claim that that those afflicted with dementia are persons, whatever the state of progression may be. I argue for this claim after developing a broad conception of persons and after analyzing the significance of lucid periods among those with dementia. The ultimate aims are to improve understanding of persons and to improve approaches to the treatment of persons with dementia.