Chris Tennberg

Chris Tennberg
Graduate Students not in Residence

Specialization

Research Interests

  • Ancient Philosophy
  • Metaphysics
  • Epistemology
  • Philosophy of Religion

Education

  • San Diego State University

Bio

Research

My primary area of research is in ancient Greek philosophy. I am particularly interested in how various metaphysical and epistemological problems were dealt with by the ancient Greeks. For instance, my writing and research has (so far) focused on ancient accounts of personal identity, the metaphysics of death, Parmenidean ontology, aspects of Socratic epistemology, and Hellenistic Skepticism. My dissertation research is specifically aimed at providing an account of ‘Socratic rationality’ based on the early-middle dialogues of Plato and to consider how that account might bear upon several controversial aspects of Socratic philosophy — most notably, the worry that Socrates’ allegiance to the daimonion (or ‘divine sign’) and his frequent use of myth are irrational given his claim to be the kind of person that is persuaded by reason and rational argument alone. In addition to my work in ancient Greek philosophy, I also have an abiding interest in contemporary Metaphysics, Epistemology and the Philosophy of Religion.