CV
Walter Soffer, Professor of Philosophy, SUNY Geneseo
EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Philosophy, The Graduate Faculty, The New School for Social Research, January, 1977.
M.A. in Philosophy, The Graduate Faculty, The New School for Social Research, June, 1970.
B.A. in Philosophy, Temple University, June, 1965.
DISSERTATION
“Descartes’ Idea of Philosophy and the Anthropology of Error”
DISSERTATION SUPERVISOR
Professor Hans Jonas, Alvin Johnson Professor of Philosophy
TEACHING CAREER
Professor of Philosophy, SUNY Geneseo (1987-present)
Associate Professor of Philosophy, SUNY Geneseo (1983-1987)
Assistant Professor of Philosophy, SUNY Geneseo (1976-1983)
Assistant Professor of Philosophy, The George Washington University (1973-1975)
Seminar Instructor and Independent Study Tutor, M.A. in Liberal Studies Program, The
Graduate Faculty, The New School for Social Research (1970-1973)
PUBLICATIONS
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“ The Methodological Achievement of Cartesian Doubt”, The Southern Journal of
Philosophy, Vol. XVI, No. 1, Spring 1978.
“ Descartes, Rationality, and God”, The Thomist, Vol. 42, No.4, October 1978.
Review of Margaret D. Wilson, DESCARTES, The Review of Metaphysics, Vol.
XXXII, No. 4, June 1979.
Review of John J. Blom, DESCARTES: HIS MORAL PHILOSOPHY and
PSYCHOLOGY, The Review of Metaphysics, Vol. XXXIII, No. 4, June 1980.
“ Kant on the Tutelage of God and Nature”, The Thomist, Vol. 45, No.1, January
1981.
Review of Dominick A. Iorio, NICOLAS MALEBRANCHE: DIALOGUE
BETWEEN A CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHER and a CHINESE PHILOSOPHER on
the EXISTENCE and NATURE of GOD, The Review of Metaphysics, Vol. XXXIV,
No. 2, December 1980.
“ Husserl’s Neo-Cartesianism”, Research in Phenomenology, Vol. XI, 1981.
Review of Hector-Neri Castanada, ON PHILOSOPHICAL METHOD, The Review
of Metaphysics, Vol. XXXV, No. 2, December 1981.
Review of Peter A. Schouls, The IMPOSITION of METHOD: A STUDY of
DESCARTES and LOCKE, The review of Metaphysics, Vol. XXXV, No. 2,
December 1981.
“ Descartes’s Rejection of the Aristotelian Soul”, International Studies in
Philosophy, Vol. XVI, No. 1, 1984.
Co-editor, The CRISIS of LIBERAL DEMOCRACY: A STRAUSSIAN
PERSPECTIVE, SUNY Series in Political Theory, Albany: SUNY Press, 1987.
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FROM SCIENCE TO SUBJECTIVITY: An Interpretation of Descartes’s “
Meditations”, Contributions in Philosophy, Number 33, Westport: Greenwood
Press,1987
“Dreaming, Hyperbole, and Dogmatism”, Idealistic Studies, Vol. XVIII, No. 1,
January, 1988.
“Wisdom and Consent: Ancient and American: A Response to Sander H. Lee, ‘An
Epistemic Discussion of Participatory Democracy in THE FEDERALIST
PAPERS’”, Proceedings of the Nineteenth Conference on Value Inquiry: THE
FEDERALIST PAPERS: An Explanation and Defense of Ideas and Issues in the
U.S. Constitution, 1988.
“ Modernity’s Problematic Nobility”, review of Stanley Rosen, The ANCIENTS and
the MODERNS, The Review of Politics, Vol. 52, No. 2, Summer 1990.
Reprint of “ Descartes’s Rejection of the Aristotelian Soul”, in Georges J. D.
Moyal(ed.), DESCARTES: CRITICAL ASSESSMENTS, Routledge and Kegan
Paul, 1991, Vol. III.
“ Modern Rationalism, Miracles, and Revelation: Strauss’s Critique of Spinoza, in
LEO STRAUSS: POLITICAL PHILOSOPHER and JEWISH THINKER, K.
Deutsch and W. Nicgorski(eds.), Rowman and Littlefield, 1994.
“ Descartes’s Secular Paradise: The Discourse on Method as Biblical Criticism”,
Philosophy and Theology, Vol. 8, No. 4, Summer 1994.
“Socrates’ Proposals Concerning Women: Feminism or Fantasy?”, History of
Political Thought, Vol. XVI, Issue 2, Summer 1995.
“ The Modern Affirmation of Existence”, review of Laurence Lampert, NIETZSCHE
and MODERN TIMES, The Review of Politics, Vol. 57, No. 1, Winter 1995.
“ Dreaming and Direct Realism: Butchvarov’s Response to Skepticism’, in Larry Lee
Blackman(ed.), The PHILOSOPHY of PANAYOT BUTCHVAROV: A Collegial
Evaluation, Problems in Contemporary Philosophy, Vol.62, New York: The Edwin
Mellon Press, 2005.
WORKS in PROGRESS
- “Shifting the Burden of Proof to the Perceptual Skeptic”
- “The Theodicy of Descartes’s Fourth Meditation”
COLLOQUIA
Spring 1977 Geneseo: “The Methodological Achievement of Cartesian Doubt.”
University of Toronto: “On the Unity of the Cartesian Soul.”
Villanova University: “The Methodological Achievement of Cartesian Doubt.”
Fall 1977
St. John Fisher College: “On the Origins of the Mind-body Problem.”
Spring 1978 SUNY Binghamton: “The Phenomenological vs. Causal Theory of Perception.”
SUNY Buffalo: “The Phenomenological vs. Causal Theory of Perception.”
Fall 1978
Rochester Institute of Technology: “On the Origins of the Mind-body Problem.”
Spring 1979 Geneseo: “Descartes’s Rejection of the Aristotelian Soul.”
Bryn Mawr College, The Fullerton Club: “Descartes’s Rejection of the
Aristotelian Soul.”
Spring 1980 Houghton College: “On the Socratic Equation of Virtue and Knowledge.”
Fall 1982
St. John Fisher College: “On the Socratic Equation of Virtue and Knowledge.”
Spring 1983 Geneseo, The Women’s Center: “Platonism and Feminism: The Argument for
Sexual Equality in Republic V.”
Fall 1983
Geneseo, Humanities Faculty Colloquium: “Plato’s Republic.”
Spring 1984
Geneseo: Participant in The Great Debate: Does God Exist?
Tri-State Philosophical Association: “Dreaming, Hyperbole, and Dogmatism.”
SUNY Binghamton: “Dreaming, Hyperbole, and Dogmatism.”
Geneseo: “Dreaming, Hyperbole, and Dogmatism.
Summer 1984 Geneseo, Address to entering liberal arts students: “On Liberal Education”
Fall 1984
Albany, NY, Geneseo Alumni Association: “Devil’s Advocate” in Great Raft
Debate I.
Spring 1985 Geneseo: “Devil’s Advocate” in Great Raft Debate II.
Geneseo: Humanities Faculty Colloquium: “Marx.”
Geneseo, Humanities Faculty Colloquium: “Locke’s Second Treatise.”
Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus: “Platonism and Feminism: The
Argument for Sexual Equality in Republic V.”
Rochester Institute of Technology: “On the Socratic Equation of Virtue and
Knowledge.”
Fall 1985
SUNY Brockport: “Platonism and Feminism: The Argument for Sexual Equality
in Republic V.”
Spring 1986 SUNY Brockport: “Dreaming, Hyperbole, and Dogmatism.”
Fall 1986
Geneseo, Humanities “Monster” section: “St. Paul.”
Geneseo, Humanities “Monster” section: “Aristotle’s Ethics.”
Livonia Middle School, Livonia, NY: “How Does God Decide What To Do?”
Geneseo, Humanities Colloquium: “Plato’s Republic”.
Houghton College: “On the Socratic Equation of Virtue and Knowledge.”
Spring 1987 Geneseo: “On the Socratic Equation of Virtue and Knowledge.”
Fall 1987
Geneseo, The Faculty Forum: “The Challenge of Allan Bloom’s The Closing of
the American Mind.”
Geneseo, Operation Inform, sponsored by SUNY Geneseo Office of Admissions:
“Devil’s Advocate” in Great Raft Debate III.
SUNY Brockport: “Dreaming, Hyperbole, and Dogmatism.”
Spring 1988 Geneseo, Nineteenth Conference on Value Inquiry: “The Federalist Papers: An
Explanation and Defense of Ideas and Issues in the U.S. Constitution” –
“Wisdom and Consent: Ancient and American (A Response to Sander H.
Lee, “An Epistemic Discussion of Participatory Democracy in The
Federalist).”
Geneseo, Humanities Colloquium: “Descartes’s Technological Eden: The
Discourse on Method as Biblical Criticism.”
Fall 1988
Tri-State Philosophical Association: “Descartes’s Technological Eden: The
Discourse on Method as Biblical Criticism.”
The American Catholic Philosophical Association Round Table of Philosophy,
Iona College: “Descartes’s Technological Eden: The Discourse on Method as
Biblical Criticism”
Spring 1989 Pittsford, N.Y., Allen Creek Elementary School: “Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.”
Geneseo Philosophy Club: “Modern Rationalism, Miracles, and Revelation:
Strauss’s Critique of Spinoza”
Fall 1989
Geneseo, Humanities Faculty Colloquium: “On Socrates’ Gender-Neutral
Politics.”
Spring 1990 Houghton College, Division of Philosophy and Religion: “Descartes’s Secular
Paradise: The Discourse on Method as Biblical Criticism.”
Fall 1990
St. John Fisher College: “Socrates’ Proposals Concerning Women: Feminism or
Fantasy?”
Geneseo Political Philosophy Club: “Socrates’ Proposals Concerning Women:
Feminism or Fantasy?”
Geneseo Philosophy Club: “Modern Rationalism, Miracles, and Revelation:
Strauss’s Critique of Spinoza.”
Summer 1993 Geneseo Alumni Association Reunion: “Devil’s Advocate” in the Great Raft
Debate.
Fall 1993
Participant in Debate on God’s Existence, sponsored by Geneseo Philosophy
Club.
Spring 1994 Geneseo: Co-participant, The Debate Over the Gendered Voice, sponsored by
Humanities Program.
Spring 1996 University of Rochester, Philosophy Department: “Socrates’ Proposals
Concerning Women: Feminism or Fantasy?”
Geneseo Philosophy Club: “Socrates’ Proposals Concerning Women: Feminism
or Fantasy?”
Spring 1997 Geneseo, Humanities Faculty Colloquium: “Descartes and the Enlightenment.”
Spring 1998 Participant in Debate on God’s Existence, sponsored by Geneseo Philosophy
Club.
Fall 1998
Geneseo, Humanities Faculty Colloquium: “Approaches to the Reading of the
Republic”.
Spring 1999 Geneseo Philosophy Club: “Socrates’ Proposals Concerning Women: Feminism
or Fantasy?”
Fall 1999
Geneseo Philosophy Club: “Immortality and Misology in Plato’s Phaedo”.
Spring 2000 Participant in Debate on God’s Existence, sponsored by Geneseo Philosophy
Club.
Fall 2000
Geneseo Philosophy Club: “Virtue as Knowledge in Plato’s Meno.”
Fall 2001
Geneseo Philosophy Club: “Dreaming and the Distinction Between the Existence
and Essence of Bodies in Descartes’s Meditations”.
Spring 2004 SUNY Geneseo: “Socratic Philosophizing”, Keynote Speech, Induction
Ceremony, Philosophy Honor Society, Phi Sigma Tau, NY – Xi Chapter, SUNY
Geneseo.
SUNY Geneseo: “Dreaming and Direct Realism: Butchvarov’s Response to
Skepticism”, Conference on “Exploring the Thought of Panayot Butchvarov”.
Fall 2005
SUNY Geneseo: Parents Weekend Lecture, “Moral Relativism and the Ethic of
Tolerance: A Critique”.
Spring 2006 Geneseo Philosophy Department: “Intentionality and Skepticism”.
Geneseo Philosophy Club: Participant in Reason and Revelation debate, “Can
Reason Prove Its Superiority to Revelation?”.
Spring 2007 Geneseo Philosophy Department: “Descartes’s Problematic Theology”.
Spring 2009 Geneseo Philosophy Club, Participant in debate on How to Read a Platonic
Dialogue
Fall 1992
LINKS:
Philosophy Department Page
SUNY Geneseo Homepage