Stephen P. Steinberg

Stephen P. Steinberg is a Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania, holding dual affiliations with the School of Arts and Sciences and the Annenberg School for Communication. He has held multiple administrative roles, including Advisor to the President (2004–2015), Executive Director of the Penn National Commission on Society, Culture, and Community (1996–2004), and Assistant Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences (1978–1987). He has been affiliated with the Solomon Asch Center for the Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict since 1999 and the Institute for Strategic Threat Analysis and Response since 2002.

Education:

• Ph.D. (Philosophy), University of Pennsylvania, 1989
• M.A. (Philosophy), New School for Social Research, 1982
• M.S. (Journalism), Columbia University, 1972
• A.B. (Philosophy, with distinction), University of Michigan, 1971

His research focuses on 20th-century Continental philosophy, phenomenology, and the intersection of ideology, nationalism, and public discourse. He has explored how psychoanalytic theory informs analyses of societal conflict and higher education governance.

His notable publication Public Discourse in America (co-edited with Judith Rodin) examines communal dialogue and societal cohesion. His career reflects a blend of academic scholarship and institutional leadership, spanning over four decades at the University of Pennsylvania.