Deborah Knight

Associate Professor
B.A., M.A. (Carleton), Ph.D. (Toronto)

Specialization: Philosophy of Art and Philosophical Aesthetics

Office: Watson Hall 

Office Hours: N/A

Phone: (613) 533.6000 ext. 77032 

E-mail: deborah.knight@queensu.ca 

My current research is primarily in the philosophy of art and aesthetics.  I am particularly interested in the philosophies of literature, film, and the visual arts, as well as the intersection of (so-called) "high" art and (so-called) "popular" art.  Some of my recent research topics include: the ethical criticism of art and literature, the question of memorial art, and the analysis of film genres and genre films.  I have published on topics including: philosophy and literature, philosophy and cultural studies, The Matrix, The Simpsons, the horror film, Hitchcock,Blade Runner and Dark City, Scorsese's The Age of Innocence, and most recently the Western, with a focus on Robert Altman's McCabe and Mrs. Miller.  Other recent publications focus on sentimentality, the genres of tragedy and comedy, and personal identity in relation to the philosophy of film. In 2010-11, I will be teaching a graduate course on personal identity and the self, third-year courses on the philosophy of art and the philosophy of mind, and the first term of our introductory Great Works course.