Rate My Professor Phil Shields

Philip Shields is Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies and holder of the Hales Family Chair in Ethics at Beloit College. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1991, an M.A. from the University of Chicago in 1988, and a B.A. from Haverford College in 1982. Throughout his thirty years of teaching experience at Beloit College, Shields has demonstrated excellence in undergraduate instruction, earning the Underkofler Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award in 2000. His pedagogical approach centers on classical philosophical texts by historical figures, emphasizing the role of background practices in understanding and evaluating philosophical ideas, arguments, and actions. Shields regularly teaches courses such as Introduction to Philosophy, Ethical Theory, Modern Philosophy, Classical Chinese Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, Logic, Postmodern Philosophical Issues, Myths, Dreams, and Other Realities, and Conceiving Evil.

Shields' scholarly interests encompass embodiment, normativity, and agency. He maintains that concepts of 'free will' and 'determinism' are each incoherent on their own terms. His current book project, Autonomy: Philosopher’s Stone or Will-’O-the-Wisp?, argues that autonomy represents a misguided modern ideal, as it cannot effectively promote either objective knowledge or authentic action, given the intrinsically social and value-laden character of normativity. Notable publications include “How Identity Politics Objectifies People and Undermines Rational Agency” in International Philosophical Quarterly 61 (2021): 463-480; “The Poverty of Patriarchal Power” in International Philosophical Quarterly 55 (2015): 101-120; “Rethinking Facts and Values: How Normativity Establishes the Fact of Values and the Value of Facts” in the Conference Proceedings (European Conference on Ethics, Religion, and Philosophy 2019: Value and Values); and “Maybe We Can—But Should We?” in Annual Proceedings of the Wealth and Well-Being of Nations, Volume 13 (2022-23).