Therese Cory

Therese Cory is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, holding the John and Jean Oesterle Associate Professorship of Thomistic Studies. She serves as Director of the Jacques Maritain Center and its associated History of Philosophy Forum, and is affiliated with the History and Philosophy of Science program.

Her educational background includes a Ph.D. from the Catholic University of America.

Professor Cory specializes in medieval theories of mind, cognition, and personhood, with particular focus on Thomas Aquinas and his thirteenth-century interlocutors. Her research examines consciousness, selfhood, subjectivity, Aristotelian hylomorphism as applied to mind, mental representation, intentionality, and the relationship between imagination and intellect. She is particularly interested in how Islamic philosophers shaped Scholastic thought in medieval Christian Europe, exploring the shared philosophical tradition connecting Muslim, Jewish, and Christian thinkers.

Her recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on medieval theories of consciousness and self-knowledge, with increasing attention to interdisciplinary connections between philosophy, cognitive science, and neuroscience. Her work shows progression from detailed historical analysis toward systematic applications of medieval insights to contemporary philosophical problems, particularly regarding implicit bias and intentionality.

• JHP Article Prize (2015) for 'Rethinking Abstractionism: Aquinas's Intellectual Light and Some Arabic Sources'
• Founder's Prize from the Society for Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy (2011)

Professor Cory currently directs the 'Modeling the Mind in the European History of Philosophy' research cluster (2020-2024) and serves on the executive committee of the 'Aquinas and the Arabs Project.' She is also a member of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas, contributing to contemporary Thomistic scholarship.

She leads the Jacques Maritain Center and its associated History of Philosophy Forum at Notre Dame, fostering interdisciplinary research on the history of philosophy and promoting dialogue between historical and contemporary philosophical perspectives.