Elisa Torres Neff

Elisa Torres Neff serves as a Visiting Instructor in the Honors College at Belmont Abbey College, bringing her expertise in philosophy and classical literature to undergraduate education. She is returning to her alma mater where she previously completed her undergraduate studies.

Her educational background includes:

• Ph.D. candidate in Philosophy at the University of Dallas, Institute of Philosophic Studies (ABD status)
• M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Dallas (2020)
• B.A. in English Literature and Theology from Belmont Abbey College (2017) with minors in Christianity and Culture, Political Philosophy, and Medieval Studies

Dr. Torres Neff's research focuses on Virgilian piety, the dialogues of Plato, the problem of Socrates, and learning as recollection. She examines the quarrel between the Ancients and the Moderns, atheistic humanism, and the literary masterpieces of Dostoyevsky. Her scholarly approach emphasizes how philosophical inquiry can cultivate moral, spiritual, and intellectual virtue in students, reflecting her belief in 'the urgent possibility to rigorously cultivate the moral, spiritual, and intellectual virtue of young men and women.'

Her publications reveal a consistent trajectory exploring classical and Renaissance philosophical texts, particularly examining how these works address fundamental questions of human nature, virtue, and the good life across different historical periods from antiquity to the Enlightenment.

Her professional recognitions include:

• Member of the 10th Cohort of the Lilly Graduate Fellows Program (2017–present)
• Graduate Fellow of the American Public Philosophy Institute (2021–present)

Dr. Torres Neff is dedicated to mentoring students in philosophical inquiry, guided by her conviction that 'Poetry begins with delight and ends in wonder; philosophy begins in wonder and ends in wisdom.' She particularly values bringing students 'the same joy of learning that she experienced' during her undergraduate years at Belmont Abbey College, creating a meaningful connection between her personal educational journey and her current teaching practice.