Damian Caluori (2010 Conington Prize)
Senior Lecturer
- Philosophy
- School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences
Contact details
- Tel: 0131 650 3595
- Email: dcaluori@ed.ac.uk
Address
- Street
-
Room 7.06
- City
- 40 George Square, Edinburgh
- Post code
- EH8 9JX
Availability
Office Hours: Tuesday, 11:00-12:30 or by appointment at 40GS, Room 7.06. (I hold these office hours during weeks 1-11. No need to book, just stop by.) If you'd like to meet outside teaching blocks, please send me an email request for a meeting.)
Background
I joined the department in 2019. Before that, I taught at Trinity University, San Antonio, TX, for ten years, first as Assistant Professor, then as Associate Professor. I received my DPhil in 2008 from the University of Oxford for my thesis on Plotinus on the Soul, written under the supervision of Michael Frede. I was born and raised in Switzerland where I received my Lic.phil (=MA) from the University of Zurich.
CV

Undergraduate teaching
Various courses in ancient philosophy, in particular the ancient Greek part of Introduction to the History of Philosophy and the third year course Ancient Philosophy. I also teach Philosophy of Friendship, a course that systematically explores what friendship is, how to distinguish between friends and non-friends, the puzzles this generates for rationality and morality as well as the role of friendship in a good life.
Open to PhD supervision enquiries?
Yes
Areas of interest for supervision
I am open to surpervising theses on Plato, Aristotle, Hellenistic philosophy, and Neoplatonism (in particular Plotinus).
Current PhD students supervised
Dong-geun Kim (first supervisor).
Chihon Ley (second supervisor).
Graham Blackbourn (second supervisor; Classics).
Research summary
I am interested in all aspects of ancient philosophy, in particular in theories of the soul and in metaphysics more generally. I am mostly focused on late ancient Platonism, in particular Plotinus. I read Plotinus against the background of his honourable predecessors, in particular Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics. Reading Plotinus in this way makes it clear how Plotinus attempts to solve problems that all ancient philosophers were concerned with and how he attempts to give Platonist answers to these problems that are no less sophisticated than the answers of the competing schools.