Joel Smith

Dr. Joel Smith is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Manchester. He holds a PhD from University College London and has been affiliated with institutions such as the University of Essex. His research focuses on philosophy of mind, phenomenology, and existentialism, with historical interests in Kant, post-Kantian philosophy, and existentialist thought. Current projects include studies on perceptual demonstratives, emotional expression, and the experience of music.

Smith supervises numerous PhD and master’s students, covering topics like psychedelics and phenomenology, narrative self-conception, and existential ethics. He has published extensively, including works on self-consciousness, empathy, and temporal experience. His book Existentialism: A Philosophical Inquiry (2022) explores existential themes like authenticity and responsibility.

He organizes the Mind Reading Group and contributes to research areas such as the Mind & Language program. Smith’s work intersects with psychology and cognitive science, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding consciousness and emotion.