GMercyU Professor Wins Philosophy Essay Award

One of Gwynedd Mercy University's own, Professor Robert R. Clewis, was awarded the coveted North American Kant Society's (NAKS) 2018 Wilfrid Sellars Essay Prize. NAKS was founded in 1985 to further the study of Immanuel Kant and his philosophies and is determined to keep his complex and continually relevant ideas from growing stagnant over time.

The Wilfrid Sellars Award is given out annually by the North American Kant Society to recognize extraordinary essays written on the continued relevance of Immanuel Kant's philosophical ideals. This year, NAKS recognized Dr. Clewis' essay "Beauty and Utility in Kant's Aesthetics: The Origins of Adherent Beauty," for its "deeply researched" subject matter and the way it successfully connected Kantian ideals on aesthetics to more modern concepts of beauty. The scholars judging the philosophical papers were particularly impressed with the latter, since tying Kant's ideals to modernity is really the crux of the essay challenge.

Professor Clewis' interest in philosophy goes much deeper than professional academia. He is particularly interested in the teachings of Immanuel Kant, but Dr. Clewis also specializes in modern philosophy and aesthetics. He is also very active in the process of editing and translating works of philosophy written in different languages. He encourages students interested in any of those topics to reach out to him for more information and discussion. Dr. Clewis' genuine passion for Kantian philosophy made him an exceptional candidate for the award and a great overall ambassador for the teachings of Immanuel Kant.

The Wilfrid Sellars Award is an incredible achievement, and we're proud to have distinguished faculty educating our students.

Congratulations, Professor Clewis!