Anna Vaughn, Ph.D

Dr. Vaughn joined the faculty at Sacred Heart University in 2017. She is primarily a historian of Early Modern philosophy (the period between Descartes and Kant) and has an interest in the philosophy of perception. Her current research investigates the nature of sense perception, particularly the tension between passively received sensations and active cognitive processes in the context of Locke's discussion of Molyneux’s questions. Molyneux’s question is a thought experiment posed by William Molyneux to Locke about whether someone born blind, but suddenly able to see, could recognize objects he or she had previously known only by touch.

Prof. Vaughn believes philosophy is a conversation. The trends we see in contemporary philosophy arise within a historical context, often informed by scientific discovery. Dr. Vaughn’s approach to researching and teaching philosophy is to highlight this conversation by emphasizing the historical and thematic connections between philosophical ideas.