Daniel J. Smith

Daniel J. Smith is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Memphis, where he has taught since 2018. His academic work bridges historical and contemporary philosophical traditions with global political engagement.

His educational background includes:

• Ph.D. from Penn State University
• M.A. from the University of Warwick
• B.A. from the University of Warwick

Dr. Smith's research centers on German idealism (Kant and Schelling) and contemporary continental philosophy (Foucault), with significant contributions to the history of philosophy methodology. His work critically examines evil in philosophical systems, critical philosophy of race (particularly Kant's racism), and global political philosophies including Kurdish democratic theory. Recent projects explore philosophy's relationship with life sciences, analyzing German idealism's role in biology's emergence as a discipline.

His publications reveal consistent scholarly output across top philosophy journals, demonstrating expertise in Kantian ethics, Foucauldian genealogy, and decolonial approaches to philosophical canon formation. Key trends include reinterpreting historical concepts through contemporary crises (e.g., pandemic philosophy) and challenging Eurocentric narratives in philosophical historiography.

No scientific awards are documented in the available materials.

Dr. Smith serves as an associate editor for Philosophy World Democracy, a multilingual journal fostering global philosophical dialogue. His collaborative work spans institutions in Tokyo, Paris, Delhi, Zagreb, and Bogotá, particularly through special issues on Kurdish political philosophy and pandemic ethics. Current major projects include the book Evil in Kant and German Idealism and research on philosophy's entanglement with biological sciences circa 1800.

His international editorial role and cross-continental collaborations constitute his primary team engagement, facilitating politically engaged philosophy from non-Western perspectives.