Dr. James Madden

Dr. James Madden is originally from Wisconsin, and did his graduate work at Kent State (MA, 1998) and Purdue (Ph.D., 2002).  Jim Madden has taught at Benedictine since 2003, and lives with his family in Atchison, Kansas. He was awarded the Benedictine College Distinguished Educator of the Year Award in 2006.  He lives in Atchison with his wife (Jennifer) and they have six children; William, Martha, Patrick, Brendan, Jack, and Cormac.

Curriculum Vitae

Degrees

• BA - Saint Norbert College
• MA - Kent State University
• Ph.D. - Purdue University

Classes

In addition to usual general education courses in philosophy (Logic, Principles of Nature, Ethics, and Philosophical Psychology), Dr. Madden typically teaches courses in modern philosophy, metaphysics, and philosophy of religion.

Research Interests

Dr. Madden's long term research interests are modern philosophy, philosophy of religion, and philosophy of mind.

Publications

Published Book

Mind, Matter, and Nature: A Thomistic Proposal for the Philosophy of Mind.  Washington D.C.: the Catholic University of America Press, 2013. (link to book)

Invited Lectures

“Escaping Death – Digital Afterlife and Life Extension,” featured interview on the Humanity 2.0 Show (July, 2019) (link to interview)

“The Metaphysics of Soul,” featured presentation, Soul & Brain Conference at the Joseph B. Martin Conference Center at The Harvard School of Medicine (August, 2019)

“Aristotle on the Good,” featured presentation, Soul & Brain Conference at the Joseph B. Martin Conference Center at The Harvard School of Medicine (August, 2019)

“Technological Difficulties: The Affirmation of Desire in an Age of Techno-Nihilism,” Plenary Address to the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, September 2019

“An Infinite God and a Finite World.” Plenary Address for the 8^th Annual Mount St. Mary College Philosophy Workshop. June 2018: (link to audio)

“Contemporary Cognitive Science and the Soul,” with Mark Johnston, Princeton University, April 2019: (link to audio)

“Does Darwinism Undermine Christianity?” The Thomistic Institute, The University of Arizona, March 2019: (link to audio)

“Does Neuroscience Prove There is No Soul?” The Thomistic Institute, The University of South Carolina, February 2019: (link to audio)

“Does Neuroscience Prove There is No Soul?” The Thomistic Institute, Harvard School of Medicine, January, 2019: (link to audio)

“What is a Soul, and When Does It Come to Be?” The Thomistic Institute, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. February 9, 2018: (link to audio)

“The Compatibility of Neuroscience and the Soul.” The Thomistic Institute, Vanderbilt University. February 10, 2018: (link to audio)

“The Compatibility of Neuroscience and the Soul.” The Thomistic Institute, Brown University. October 2017: (link to audio)

“Does Science Prove There is No Soul?” The Thomistic Institute, The University of Oklahoma. September 2017.

“The Compatibility of Neuroscience and the Soul.” The Thomistic Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. March 2018: (link to audio)

“How Not to Do Natural Theology,” Conception Seminary, Spring 2015

“Atheism, Theism, and the Possibility of Biological Naturalism.” Perennial Philosophy Lecture, Loras College, May 2009.

“Christianity or Darwinism?” Central Missouri University, April 1, 2009.

"Teleology Worth Having: A Critique of Intelligent Design." Ashland University, February 2006.

"Teleology without Design" University of Indianapolis, February 2006.

"A Reductivist Argument Against Naturalism." The University of St. Thomas, February 2004.

"Leibniz's Critique of Occasionalism." Mount Saint Mary's College, February 2003.

"From Creation Ex Nihilo to Omnipotence: A Modal Argument for Infinite Power in a Creator." The University of St. Thomas, October 2002.

Journal Articles and Book Chapters

“Hylomorphism in the Philosophy of Mind and the Philosophy of Religion.” Philosophy Compass.  Volume 8, Issue 7, (July 2013): 664-676.

“Realism, Nominalism, and Biological Naturalism.”  International Philosophical Quarterly. 51, no. 1 (2011): 85-102.

“The Fifth Way, Scientism, and Intelligent Design.”  Faith and Reason.  31, no. 3 (Fall 2006):  387-408.

“A Counterfactual Analysis in Defense of Aquinas’ Inference of Omnipotence from Creation Ex Nihilo" (with Louis A. Mancha).  Proceedings of the American Catholic Philosophical Association.  Vol. 79 (October, 2006): 145-154.

“Giving the Devil his Due: Teleological Arguments After Hume.”  In Defense of Natural Theology: A Post-Humean Reassessment, edited by Douglas Groothuis and James Sennett.  Downers Grove, ILL: InterVarsity Press, 2005.

“Aristotle, Induction and First Principles: How to Answer the Skeptical Challenge to Material Substance.” International Philosophical Quarterly.  Vol. 44, No. 1 (March 2004): 35-52.

"Leibniz and Malebranche on Teleology and the Intelligibility of Nature." Proceedings of the American Catholic Philosophical Association.  Vol. 79 (October 2004): 171-188.

"What Intelligent Design Does not Imply" (with Mark A. Discher).  Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith.  December, 2004: 296-298.

"What Would Count as Defeating Naturalism? A Reply to Van Till" (with Mark A. Discher).  Perspective on Science and Christian Faith.  December, 2004: 296-298.

“Thomistic Theories of Intentionality and Physicalism.”  American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly.  Vol. 91, No. 1 (Winter 2017): pp. 1-28

Book Reviews

“Review of Personal Agency: the Metaphysics of Mind and Action, by E. J. Lowe.” American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly, Vol. 84, Issue 4 (Summer 2010).

“Review of The Agnostic Inquirer: Revelation from a Philosophical Standpoint, by Sandra Menssen and Thomas Sullivan,” American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly, Vol. 85, Issue 3 (Fall 2011).

“Review of Leibniz’s Mill: A Challenge to Materialism, by Charles Landesman,” American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly Vol. 86, Issue 2 (Summer 2012).

“Review of On Determining What There Is: The Identity of Ontological Categories in Aquinas, Scotus, and Lowe, by Paul Symington.” American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly. Vol. 87, Issue 4 (Fall 2013).

“Review of The Image in Mind, by Charles Taliaferro and Jil Evens,” The European Journal for the Philosophy of Religion. (forthcoming)

Encyclopedia Entries

“Intentionality,” The New Catholic Encyclopedia Supplement 2013-13: Ethics and Philosophy. Vol 2.  New York: Cengage Learning, 2013:  787-791. (co-authored with Henry B. Veatch)

“Mind, The Philosophy of,” The New Catholic Encyclopedia Supplement 2013-13: Ethics and Philosophy. Vol. 3.  New York: Cengage Learning, 2013:  1004-1007

Conference Presentations

“Physicalism and Hylomorphic Theories of Intentionality.”  The Wake Forest Hylomorphism Seminar, Wake Forest University, June 5, 2013.

“Compound Confusions: Recent Misunderstandings of Hylomorphism.” American Maritain Association Meeting, St. Vincent University, October 12, 2012.

“Nature without Substance?  On the Possibility of an Analytic Handmaiden for Theology.” American Maritain Association Meeting, St. Mary College, October 15, 2011.

“Response to ‘Leibniz on Laws of Nature.’” American Catholic Philosophical Association Annual Meeting, St. Louis University, October 29, 2011.

“Qualia and Constitution in Body-Self Dualism.” Symposium on Body-Self Dualism in Contemporary Ethics and Politics by Robert George and Patrick Lee.  Annual Meeting of the American Maritain Association, October 16^th, 2010.

“Realism, Nominalism, and Biological Naturalism.” Society for Christian Philosophers Midwest Meeting, April 23-25, 2008.

“A Counterfactual Analysis in Defense of Aquinas’ Inference of Omnipotence from Creation Ex Nihilo.”American Catholic Philosophical Association Annual Meeting, October, 2005, Notre Dame.

"The Irreducibility of the Concept of Purpose: Fides et Ratio and the Challenge of Scientism." American Maritain Association 2005 Annual Meeting, October 13, Washington, D.C.

"Response to 'Suarez's Account of the Separated Soul,' by J. B. South." American Catholic Philosophical Association Annual Meeting, November 5, 2004 in Miami, FL. (This session was cancelled.)

"Leibniz and Malebranche on Teleology and the Intelligibility of Nature." American Catholic Philosophical Association Annual Meeting, October 31, 2003, Houston, TX.

“The New Design Argument and a 17^th Century Defense.”  Society for Christian Philosophers Mountain Plains Conference, October 2001.

“Plato, the Godly Method and Particulars.” Society for Ancient Greek Philosophy.  October 2001.  (This paper was accepted and scheduled, but I was unable to present due to a family emergency.)

“Some Problems with Nous in Aristotle’s Account of Scientific Knowledge.” Society for Ancient Greek Philosophy, October 2000.

“Three Views of Moral Agency.”  Wisconsin Philosophical Association Annual Conference. April 1996.

Other Interests

Jim Madden is also a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitor, who won the IBJJF No-Gi World Championship (Masters 4, blue belt, open weight class) in December 2019. He has also written a book about physical fitness and strength/conditioning, Ageless Athlete.