Will Mittendorf
Originally from the Southside of Chicago, Will moved to California in 2001 to study
philosophy and not be cold.
Will has a Ph.D. in Religion (Philosophy of Religion Program) and an M.A. in Philosophy from Claremont Graduate University and a B.A. in Philosophy from Pitzer College. His main academic interests include social epistemology, democratic theory, and pragmatist philosophy.
His dissertation, Peircean Epistemic Democracy: Truth, Pluralism, and Religion, explores the epistemic basis for a theory of deliberative democracy through a pragmatist approach. He argues that despite the epistemic challenges, non-mainstream forms of reasoning, such as religious language and conspiracy theories, ought to be included in democratic deliberation for the sake of discovering hidden truths, challenging the status quo, and fostering a diverse and robust democratic public sphere.
Recent Publications:
(Forthcoming, 2024) "Racist and Antiracist Conspiracy Theories" Inquiry
2023 “Should We be Generalists about Official Stories? A Response to Hayward.” Social Epistemology Review and Reply Collective 12 (10): 36–43. https://wp.me/p1Bfg0-8a3.
2023 "Conspiracy Theories and Democratic Legitimacy." Social Epistemology, 37:4, 481-493. https://doi-org.ccl.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/02691728.2023.2172700
2023 “Reasonable Pluralism and the Procedure-Independent Standard in Epistemic Democracy” in Autonomy, Diversity and the Common Good, edited by Ingolf U. Dalferth and Marlene Block, Mohr Siebeck.
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