Jennifer Gleason⬩Philosophy of Mental Health
About
I am a philosopher of social metaphysics with a particular interest in the philosophies of mental health and disability. I am a full time temporary instructor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Alabama. I also teach for the Interdisciplinary Studies in Medicine Minor at the McCollough Institute for Pre-medical Scholars. I completed my PhD in the Department of Philosophy at the Ohio State University.
My research covers a variety of areas including: social metaphysics, social philosophy, and medical ethics. I am specifically interested in questions concerning what makes a mental disorder a disorder, how mental disorders should be diagnosed and treated, and the relationship (if any) between mental disorder and mental dysfunction.
My work often employs methodologies that are common in the Philosophy of Race, Gender, Sexual Orientation, (and Disability). I have published on the nature of stigmatization and how stigmatization affects those who are bearers of mental disorders. I am currently working on a conceptual engineering project that understands mental disorder as a stigmatized entity, which has a variety of interesting ramifications for other fields of philosophy.
Research
Publications
In Progress
2019 Direct and Indirect Acts of Stigmatization. Journal of Social Ontology [link]
The Independence of Mental Disorder from Mental Dysfunction Part I: Etiological Dysfunction
The Independence of Mental Disorder from Mental Dysfunction Part I: Statistical Dysfunction
The Independence of Mental Disorder from Mental Dysfunction Part III: System-Theoretic Dysfunction
'Mental Dysfunction' is not Medically Useful
(What) Is Mental Disorder? (What) Do We Want it to Be?
Talks
* = invited
2023. "(What) Is Mental Disorder? (What) Do We Want it to Be?", Alabama Philosophical Society
2019. Commentary on Audra Goodnight, Central APA.*
2018. “‘Mental Disorder’ is Not Medically Useful,” University of Barcelona.*
2018. Commentary on Andrew Evans, Ohio Philosophical Association.*
2018. Commentary on Maria Doulatova, Central APA.*
2016. “Are Symptom Clusters Explanatory? A Study in Mental Disorders and Non Causal Explanation” (with
Daniel Wilkenfeld and Tania Lombrozo), The Cognitive Science Society Conference.
2016. “Why Being a Dysfunction is Not Necessary for Being a Mental Disorder”, Miscellaneous Metaphysics
Workshop at The Ohio State University.
2016. “Are Symptom Clusters Explanatory? – A Study in Mental Disorders and Non Causal Explanation” (with
Daniel Wilkenfeld and Tania Lombrozo), The Society for Philosophy and Psychology.
2016. Commentary on Shane Glackin, 4th European Advanced Seminar in the Philosophy of the Life Sciences.
2016. Commentary on Cruz Davis, Ohio Philosophical Association.*
2014. “Reconciling the Degree-Based Binary Freedoms of Reid and Kant”, Free Will Conference at the Center
for Cognition and Neuroethics.
2015. Commentary on Joran Shonberg, Ohio Philosophical Association.*
2012. “Androids and Infants”, The Virginia Humanities Conference.
Teaching
University of Alabama
Seminar in Philosophy of Mental Health
Foundations of Medicine I
Foundations of Medicine II
Medical Ethics
Philosophy of Sport
The Ohio State University
Engineering Ethics
Engineering Ethics: Online Course
The Philosophy of Life and Death
Introduction to Logic
Introduction to Logic: Online Course
Logic and Legal Reasoning
Contact
Jennifer Gleason
Department of Philosophy
University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487
