James Klagge
Professor of Philosophy and Head of Department
Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles, 1983
229 Major Williams Hall | Email | (540) 231-8487 | Personal Website
Wittgenstein, Moral Philosophy, Metaphysics, 20th Century Analytic Philosophy
Dr. Klagge pursues a variety of research interests in moral philosophy, metaphysics, and 20th century analytic philosophy. He is especially interested in the metaphysical underpinnings of morality and the mind, focusing on supervenience and realism. He is also interested in the problem of conceptual change as it arises in our thinking about morality and mentality. Most recently, he has worked on Wittgenstein, both in his historical context and in his implications for current issues.
Dr. Klagge teaches a wide variety of courses, focusing on moral philosophy, but also straying into Ancient Greek culture, the history of political philosophy (especially Hobbes and Marx), metaphysics, philosophy of mind, philosophy of religion, African-American Thought, and the meaning of life.
Books
- Ludwig Wittgenstein: Public and Private Occasions, co-edited with A. Nordmann, Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2003.
- Wittgenstein: Biography and Philosophy, editor, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001.
- Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosophical Occasions: 1912-1951, co-edited with A. Nordmann, Indianapolis: Hackett, 1993.
Recent Articles
- "Wittgenstein in Exile," in D.Z. Phillips and M. von der Ruhr, eds., Religion and Wittgenstein's Legacy, Aldershot: Ashgate, 2005.
- "The Puzzle of Goethe's Influence on Wittgenstein," in F. Breithaupt, et. al, eds., Goethe and Wittgenstein: Seeing the World's Unity in Its Variety, Frankfurt: Peter Lang, 2003.
- "Wittgenstein on Non-Mediative Causality" Journal of the History of Philosophy, 37 (4), October 1999.
- "When Are Ideologies Irreconcilable? Case Studies in Diachronic Anthropology," Philosophical Investigations, 21 (3), July 1998.
- "An Unexplored Concept in Wittgenstein," History of Philosophy Quarterly, 12, October 1995.
Book Reviews
- "`The Difficulty Here is: To Stop': David Bloor, Wittgenstein, Rules, and Institutions," Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, 31 (3), Fall 2000.
- "Rosalind Hursthouse, et al, Virtues and Reasons: Philippa Foot and Moral Theory," Ethics, 107 (4), July 1997.
Regular Classes
- Philosophy 1204: Knowledge and Reality
- Philosophy 3015: Political Theory
- Philosophy 3024: Philosophical Movements
- Philosophy 4015: Special Topics
- Philosophy 4204: Metaphysics
- Philosophy 6014: Special Topics