Kyla Bruff
German Idealism; Critical theory; 20th c. French Philosophy; Social and Political Philosophy; Existentialism; Romanticism
| Degrees: | B.A. (Memorial University), M.A. (University of Bonn), PGCE (Kingston University London), Ph.D. (Memorial University) |
| Email: | Kyla.Bruff@carleton.ca |
| Office: | 3A56 Paterson Hall |
Assistant Professor
Office Hours
Tuesdays, 3 – 5 pm or by appointment (in person).
Courses for 2022-23
- PHIL 2330: Happiness and the Good Life
- PHIL 3009: Topics in European Philosophy
- PHIL 4005: Seminar in Modern Philosophy
- PHIL 5600: Topics in the History of Philosophy
Biography
My research interests lie primarily in 19th and 20th century German and French social and political philosophy. In general, I investigate the metaphysical commitments and historical roots of contemporary ideological orientations. I am currently researching different concepts of civil society in relation to questions of the state and identity in German Idealism and Critical Theory. An additional one of my ongoing projects develops a critical analysis of populism out of the work of Theodor W. Adorno. I wrote my doctoral dissertation on F.W.J. Schelling’s political philosophy—the first standalone monograph on the topic in English.
In addition to my research, I am committed to innovative, practical approaches to carrying out philosophy in public. My work in applied and social philosophy is particularly exemplified through my activities as Co-Director of the ecological NPO For A New Earth (FANE). In this role, I have mobilized philosophy in the public sphere and contributed to policy debates in Newfoundland and Labrador. I am particularly passionate about local, grass-roots action addressing climate change and related ecological issues. FANE has accordingly hosted numerous public events on the ecological effects of specific industries and government megaprojects. My op-ed articles and radio interviews have also addressed themes in feminism and other current political and ecological matters.
I am an active translator from French and German into English. My published translations include the first appearance of Schelling’s Late Political Philosophy: Lectures 22-24 of the Presentation of the Purely Rational Philosophy in English.
My other roles in bringing Schelling’s work to contemporary audiences include serving as the Managing Editor of Kabiri: The Official Journal of the North American Schelling Society, the Treasurer of the North American Schelling Society, and Co-editor of the Palgrave Schelling Handbook.
Research Interests
- German Idealism: Kant, Schelling, Hegel
- Critical theory, especially the Frankfurt School
- 20th century French Philosophy
- Social and political philosophy
- Existentialism
- German Romanticism
Selected Publications
“Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling,” Deleuze’s Philosophical Lineage II, Graham Jones and John Roffe, eds., Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2019.
“The Implications of Schelling’s Metaphysics of Contingency for Phenomenology,” Kabiri: The Official Journal of the North American Schelling Society 1, 2018.
“The Aesthetic in Moral Education: Schiller, Kant, Plato and Read,” Moral Upbringing Through Arts and Literature, Pawel Kazmierczak and Jolanta Rzegocka, eds. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2018.
“Le corps, la perception et l’ontologie: Merleau-Ponty, médiateur entre le dernier Heidegger et le premier Foucault,” La vie dans l’homme ou l’homme dans la vie?, Thomas Ebke and Caterina Zanfi, eds., Postadam: Universitätsverlag Potsdam, 2017.
“Merleau-Ponty, Foucault, Deleuze: Thinking the Lived, Utopic Body (without Organs),” Innen – Außen – Anders: Körper bei Gilles Deleuze und Michel Foucault, Ann-Cathrin Drews, Katharina D. Martin, eds., Transcript: Edition Moderne Postmoderne, 2017.