Ronald Santoni, Maria Theresa Barney Professor Emeritus at Denison University and internationally recognized scholar of Jean-Paul Sartre, was recently honored at a prestigious national conference on existentialism held this June in St. Louis. Santoni was lauded for his extensive scholarship on the philosophy of Sartre, one of the most influential and controversial figures of the 20th century.
During the conference, which was titled “The Diverse Lineages of Existentialism,” a special session devoted entirely to Santoni focused on his books “Bad Faith, Good Faith and Authenticity,” and “Sartre on Violence – Curiously Ambivalent,” as well as other published works. In addition, two eminent researchers in the field presented their own works based on Santoni’s lifetime achievements. Bill Martin, professor of philosophy at DePaul University spoke on “Santoni and Political Violence: A Response to Ronald Santoni,” and Matthew Eshleman, associate professor of philosophy at University of North Carolina, presented a paper titled “Santoni’s Legacy of Peace: Is All Violence in Bad Faith?” Santoni then responded to the presenters and audience in a one-hour discussion.
Santoni responded to the recognition, “I feel humbled by and grateful by the honor accorded me — grateful to my fellow Sartre Scholars, to my dear wife and family, to the Denison community, to my parents, and all those who have enabled, supported and nurtured my work.”
In addition to the position he holds at Denison, Santoni is a life member of Clare Hall, Cambridge University. He received his bachelor’s degree from Bishop’s University in Canada, his master’s degree from Brown University and his doctorate from Boston University. Santoni served as a visiting scholar and a visiting lecturer in the faculty of philosophy at University of Cambridge, England; a member of the High Table at King’s College, Cambridge; a visiting fellow at Clare Hall, Cambridge; a Royal Society of Canada Overseas Fellow at the University of Paris, Sorbonne; and, on five occasions, has served as a research fellow, visiting fellow, or visiting scholar at Yale University. He continues as an associate fellow of Berkeley College, Yale University.
Santoni’s scholarly research has resulted in several books and more than 165 articles, commentaries and reviews published in diverse professional philosophical journals and national magazines. His articles have appeared in journals and books in Russia, Germany, Poland, Sarajevo and France, as well as in North America. In addition, he has presented numerous papers and commentaries on Sartre and other philosophical topics at national and international meetings of professional philosophical societies.
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