Adam Leite

Adam Leite is a Professor and Department Chair of Philosophy at Indiana University Bloomington, where he has been a faculty member since 2000. He earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University (2000) and B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley (1992). His work bridges analytic philosophy with humanistic inquiry, emphasizing the role of ordinary practices in resolving epistemological problems.

• Education
  • Ph.D., Harvard University, 2000
  • B.A., University of California, Berkeley, 1992

Leite's research spans epistemology, philosophical psychology, and psychoanalysis. He challenges external world skepticism by drawing on Moore and Austin's methodologies, arguing that ordinary life provides sufficient grounds to reject skepticism. His work on unconscious belief, self-knowledge, and moral psychology intersects with clinical psychoanalytic practice, where he explores irrationality, emotion, and deliberative rationality.

His recent publications include the 2024 book How to Take Skepticism Seriously (Oxford University Press), which critiques traditional approaches to epistemological problems, and articles on topics like epistemic circularity, reactive emotions, and the role of perception in knowledge.

Awards and Grants

• Andrew W. Mellon New Directions Fellowship (2010)
• Philosophical Quarterly Essay Prize (2010, with Kate Abramson)

Leite is a licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate in Indiana, integrating clinical practice with philosophical research. His work highlights the interplay between rational deliberation and non-rational psychic forces, aiming to understand human cognition and intersubjectivity.