Ted Toadvine, Ph.D.

Meet Ted Toadvine

I am a writer, public speaker, and teacher specializing in environmental philosophy and contemporary European philosophy, especially the French and German traditions of phenomenology, post-structuralism, and deconstruction. At Penn State, I serve as Nancy Tuana Director of the Rock Ethics Institute and professor of philosophy.

My latest book is The Memory of the World: Deep Time, Animality, and Eschatology (University of Minnesota Press, 2024). I am also author of Merleau-Ponty’s Philosophy of Nature (Northwestern, 2009) and editor or translator of thirteen books and special journal issues. I have published more than 50 refereed journal articles and book chapters on topics including animality, biodiversity, climate change, embodiment, environmental aesthetics, intersubjectivity, ontology, philosophical method, and temporality. See my Writing page for more details about my publications.

I am co-editor of the online Encyclopedia of Phenomenology, co-direct the book series Contributions to Phenomenology (Springer), and serve on the boards of the Center for Advanced Research in Phenomenology, the International Association for Environmental Philosophy, and the International Merleau-Ponty Circle. 

Throughout my career, I have partnered with scholars and practitioners in other fields—including biologists, artists, architects, literary scholars, and community organizers—on such topics as climate ethics, food sovereignty, environmental justice, restoration ecology, biodiversity conservation, and environmental art and design. Through these collaborations, I have explored the role of philosophy and the humanities in interdisciplinary research and public engagement.