Steven Affeldt

Faculty Co-Director of the Manresa Program

B.A., The University of California, Berkeley; Ph.D., Harvard University 

Steven Affeldt's research explores intersections of ethics, social/political philosophy, and aesthetics.  Drawing on a wide range of figures—including Plato, Augustine, Rousseau, Kant, Emerson, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Freud, Heidegger, and Wittgenstein—he works to show how philosophy and philosophical texts may be redemptive: possessed of the power to inspire, inform, and effect liberating transformations of both individuals and societies. He has published highly influential articles on Rousseau, Wittgenstein, and Stanley Cavell and is Faculty Co-Director of The Manresa Program at Le Moyne. He enjoys teaching in virtually any area of philosophy and at all levels.

Recent publications

• “The Pertinence of the Stars: Achieving Mortality in Little Did I Know and Only Angels Have Wings.” In Movies with Stanley Cavell in Mind. Edited by David LaRocca. Bloomsbury, 2021, 93-111.
• “At the Feet of the Familiar: Thoughts on Cavell on Emerson and Wittgenstein.” Conversations: The Journal of Cavellian Studies 7 (2019-20): Acknowledging Stanley Cavell.
• “Impression, Influence, Appreciation.” In Inheriting Stanley Cavell: Memories, Dreams, Reflections. Edited by David LaRocca. Bloomsbury, 2020, 243-60.
• “Metaphysical Emerson.” Nineteenth Century Prose 45, no. 1 (2018): 109-116.

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