Denise Gamble

Denise Gamble

School of Humanities

Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

My research interests have shifted from an early career focus on philosophy of mind and philosophy of language to Kant's moral and aesthetic philosophy and moral and aesthetic issues in philosophy of film.
My Kantian research and writing resists the contemporary temptation to "naturalize" his philosophy and adopts a systemic approach within the parameters of his own metaphysical commitments. I am currently revising a paper I hope to eventually have published on Kant's humanity principle viewed in light of his philosophy of ideas of reason. Although this will be a theoretical work and not one in applied ethics it would have implications for moral status and rights of classes of human beings in certain areas of bioethics.
The immediate goal after that is to complete a monograph on Cinematic Realism for a currently being developed Brill book series on philosophy of film.

“Research” in Philosophy tends to fall either under the umbrella of scholarly rigorous conceptual analysis and interpretation giving rise to critical constructive advances in thinking about a subject matter or philosophical problem, or, under the umbrella of empirical philosophy.  My research efforts most definitively fall under the former branch which is, arguably, the traditional endeavour of Philosophy.  My research also falls under two University of Adelaide acknowledged areas of research strength for the School of Humanities and Philosophy: ethics and aesthetics.  I have recently published a review of Kant’s ‘Doctrine of Right’: A Commentary, The Philosophical Quarterly (2014); (doi: 10.1093/pq/pqt049); and, an original article, Cinematic realism revisited: A Kantian perspective, is forthcoming in Journal of Philosophical Research (Volume 41 (2016)). I am also currently working on a related paper on Andre Bazin’s cinematic realism which I intent to submit to the journal Philosophy by mid-2016.   This is in addition to re-writing sections of a paper on Kant’s Humanity principle considered in light of his theory of ideas of reason to be re-submitted Kantian Review during 2016.  Completion of the above projects will free me to devote all my research time to completing a monograph, Cinematic realism revisited, for an upcoming Brill Book Series. 

FURTHER DETAIL

FACULTY SMALL GRANT – I received a second-round Faculty Small Grant in 2011 to work on a project in Philosophy of Film that focused on aesthetic, epistemological, and moral-political critiques of cinematic realism; I have defended cinematic realism through a Kantian aesthetics framework that relates morality and art in a way that has intrinsic transformative power and contrasted this with more externally opposed and mechanical conceptionsn of art's transformative function.

BRILL MONOGRAPH PROPOSAL

Robert Sinnerbrink, a well-known Australian scholar in Philosophy of Film with whom I have corresponded drew attention in 2015 to a Brill Book Series initiative inviting submissions of proposals for  75000 word monographs on a topic in Philosophy of Film.  My proposal on Cinematic Realism addressing different conceptions of realism in film, from earlierst film theory to the current day, and including critical assessment of aesthetic and political-ideological critiques of cinematic realism to shed light on the controversal nature of realism, was accepted. My manuscript is in the early stages of development.  For more detail on the series:

www.botzbornstein.org/#!brill-book-series/c6rg

KANT'S MORAL PHILOSOPHY

I consider this the most important area of my research and scholarship and am committed to publishing if possible in an internationally recognised specialist A* philosophy journal Kantian Review.  A version of my paper on Kant’s humanity principle, if accepted and published, would have considerable impact both in terms of Kant scholarship and applied ethics. My approach to Kant is systemic and engages with the spectrum of his metaphysical commitments, avoiding trends to "empiricise" Kant. 

  • Appointments
    Date Position Institution name
    2006 - 2007 Visiting scholar Harvard University
    2003 - 2005 Associate Dean (OHS) Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences University of Adelaide
    1992 - ongoing Lecturer University of Adelaide
    1991 - 1992 Lecturer (Fixed term) University of Wollongong
    1990 - 1991 Visiting lecturer Rutgers University
    1989 - 1989 Lecturer & Tutor (Fixed term) University of Sydney

  • Education
    Date Institution name Country Title
    1982 - 1988 University of Sydney Australia PhD
    University of Sydney Australia BA (1st Class Honours in Philosophy)

  • Research Interests
    Art Theory and Criticism Ethical Theory Film and Television History of Ideas Philosophy

Teaching:

Teaching Activities 

Courses Developed

Date Course Title Institution Course Level/ Code URL
2004 Crime and Punishment University of Adelaide 3510_PHIL_2031 (Upper level)  
2009 Philosophy of Film University of Adelaide 3420_PHIL_2048  (Upper level)  
2006 Issues in the Philosophy of Language University of Adelaide 2710_PHIL_0005 (Upper level)  
2015 Ethics, Science and Society University of Adelaide 3500_ANAT SCI (Upper level)  

Courses Taught

Date Course Title Institution Course Level/ Code URL
  Professional Ethics University of Adelaide (UA) Upper  
  Philosophy of Religion UA Upper  
  Ethical Issues in the Biomedical Sciences UA Upper  
  Crime and Punishment UA Upper  
  Argument and Critical Thinking UA Level 1  
  Morality, Society and the Individual UA Level 1  
  Foundations of Modern Philosophy UA Upper  
  Issues in the Philosophy of Language UA Upper  
  Ethics, Science and Society UA Upper  
  Philosophy of Film UA Upper  
  The Enquiring Mind: Arts of Engagement UA Level 1  

 

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2016 Principal Supervisor Schopenhauer's Theory of Aesthetics Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Patrick James Keeley

  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2017 - 2017 Co-Supervisor A Consequentialist Evaluation of Industry Funding and Commercialisation of Public Biomedical Research Master of Philosophy Master Full Time Alexander Warwick Greville
    2017 - 2021 Principal Supervisor Refugee Right from a Kantian Perspective Master of Philosophy Master Full Time Mr Samuel William Hutchinson
    2011 - 2014 Co-Supervisor The Value of Benevolence: Spinoza and Perfectionism Master of Philosophy Master Full Time Mr Jason Paul Tillett
    2011 - 2018 Co-Supervisor The Good, the Right and the Exigencies of Life: John Dewey and the Value of Moral Disagreement Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Ms Karen Bland
    2008 - 2013 Co-Supervisor Moral Competence and the Psychopath Master of Arts Master Part Time Mr Matthew Tieu

  • Committee Memberships
    Date Role Committee Institution Country
    2010 - ongoing Member FACULTY OF ARTS HDR COMMITTEE University of Adelaide -

  • Consulting/Advisories
    Date Institution Department Organisation Type Country
    2016 - ongoing - - School or college -
    2014 - ongoing - - Youth activities -
Connect With Me