Edwin McCann

Edwin McCann is a Professor of Philosophy and English at the University of Southern California (USC). He holds positions in the Department of Philosophy and has served as Vice Dean for Faculty in USC College (2007-2008), President of the Academic Senate (2003-2004), and Faculty Master of North Residential College since 2008. His academic journey includes roles as Assistant Professor at Harvard University (1975-1978) and MIT (1978-1983) before joining USC in 1983. He has held visiting professorships at UCLA, UC Irvine, Claremont Graduate University, Harvard (2000-2001), and UC Berkeley (2004-2005).

Education: B.A. in Philosophy from University of California, Santa Cruz (1971); Ph.D. in Philosophy from University of Pennsylvania (1975).

Research focuses on Early Modern Philosophy (Descartes, Locke, Leibniz, Newton, Kant), Wittgenstein’s philosophy, and contemporary Philosophy of Mind. His work bridges historical and modern philosophical inquiries, emphasizing conceptual frameworks in metaphysics and epistemology.

Awards include USC’s top teaching honor (1997) and senior faculty excellence (2012-2013). His service contributions span academic governance, faculty development, and residential college leadership.