CV
BRANDON POLITE
Curriculum Vitae (Selected)
PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS
Professor of Philosophy, Knox College, Spring 2024–present
Associate Professor of Philosophy, Knox College, Spring 2017–present
Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Knox College, Fall 2014–Spring 2017
Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Knox College, Winter 2011–Spring 2014
Visiting Instructor of Philosophy, Knox College, Winter 2008–Fall 2010
EXPERTISE
Specialization: Aesthetics, Philosophy of Music, Value Theory
Competence: Ancient Greek Philosophy, Logic
EDUCATION
PhD. Philosophy, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, December 2010
MA. Philosophy, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, August 2005
BA. Philosophy, cum laude with honors, Knox College, June 2003
EDITED VOLUMES
Taylor Swift and the Philosophy of Re-recording: The Art of Taylor's Versions. Bloomsbury, January 2025. | link
PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL ARTICLES
“Shared Musical Experiences.” British Journal of Aesthetics, Vol. 59, no. 4 (October 2019).
“Prelude to a Theory of Musical Representation." Revista Musica, Vol. 17, no. 1. (2017).
“The Varieties of Musical Experience.” Pragmatism Today, Vol. 5, no. 2 (Winter 2014).
“Tortured Calculations: Body Economies in Shakespeare’s Cultures of Honor.” Selected Papers of the Ohio Valley Shakespeare Conference, Vol. 4, 2011 (January 2013).
INVITED CONTRIBUTIONS
“Taylor Swift, Fearless (Taylor’s Version).” In Bloomsbury Contemporary Aesthetics Library, ed. Darren Hudson Hick (Bloomsbury Philosophy Library, 2023), DOI: 10.5040/9781350895737.0014.
BOOK REVIEWS
“Review of Magnus, P.D., A Philosophy of Cover Songs.” Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Vol. 81, no. 1 (Winter 2022).
“Review of Nanay, Bence, Aesthetics: A Very Short Introduction.” Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Vo1. 79, no. 3 (Summer 2021).
“Review of Trivedi, Saam, Imagination, Music, and the Emotions: A Philosophical Study." Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Vol. 78, no. 1 (Winter 2020).
PUBLIC PHILOSOPHY
“Teaching Global Aesthetics" (co-authored with Elizabeth Scarbrough). American Society for Aesthetics Newsletter, Vol. 42, no. 2 (Summer 2022), 1–3.
“Game Spectation as Shared Experience.” In Let’s Play And Twitch: Where Voyeurism Meets Gaming, edited by C. Thi Nguyen and Brandon Polite, Aesthetics for Birds, online August 11, 2022.
“Five Strategies for Arguing About Art on the Internet” (co-authored with Matt Strohl). Edited by Alex King, Aesthetics for Birds, online March 23, 2021.
“Arguing About Art on the Internet, Part 1: Why We Do It, and Why It Often Goes Badly” (co-authored with Matt Strohl). Edited by Alex King, Aesthetics for Birds, online September 9, 2020.
YOUTUBE SERIES
Polite Conversations: Philosophers Discussing Art: https://www.youtube.com/c/PhilosophersDiscussingArt
INVITED PRESENTATIONS
“Taylor Swift and the Philosophy of Re-Recording":
“The Ethics of Re-Recordings.” American Society for Aesthetics Virtual Summer Aesthetics Festival. Sponsored by the University at Albany. Online, June 2022.
“The Fine Art of Sonic Duplication.” The Aesthetics Research Seminar. Uppsala University. Online, September 2021.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
“Are Taylor’s Versions New Works of Art?” American Society for Aesthetics, Annual Meeting. Arlington, VA, November 2023.
“Why Record Shops Matter Aesthetically” (with Aaron Meskin). ASA Southern Aesthetics Workshop, Annual Meeting. Furman University, October 2023.
“Stand-up Comedy and the Aesthetics of Revealing and Concealing” (with Mary-Beth Willard). American Society for Aesthetics Rocky Mountain Division, Annual Meeting. Santa Fe, July 2023.
“Social Gaming and the Shared Experience of Agency” (panel on voyeur gaming). American Society for Aesthetics, Annual Meeting. Montreal, November 2021.
“Infomercials and the Junk Aesthetics of Consumerism” (with John Dyck). American Society for Aesthetics Rocky Mountain Division, Annual Meeting. Santa Fe, July 2021.
“Vinyl, Album Covers, and the Continuum of Touch.” American Society for Aesthetics Eastern Division, Annual Meeting. Online, April 2021.
“Epistemic Humility and the Limits of Aesthetic Autonomy.” American Society for Aesthetics 78th Annual Meeting. Online, November 2020.
“Vinylphile Aesthetics.” Royal Musical Association Music and Philosophy Study Group, Biennial Conference. King’s College London, July 2019.
“Musical Kinds As Social Kinds: Or, There’s More Than One Way to Rock.” Essence and Context: A Conference Between Music and Philosophy. The Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. Vilnius, Lithuania, September 2016.
“Shared Musical Experiences.” Royal Musical Association Music and Philosophy Study Group, Annual Conference. King’s College London, July 2015.
“The Varieties of Musical Experience.” Aesthetic Experience and Somaesthetics Conference. Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, June 2014.
“Musical Representation and Unexploited Content.” American Society for Aesthetics Eastern Division, Annual Meeting. Philadelphia, March 2014.
“Music and the Embodied Ear: Against Musical Purism.” Cave Hill Philosophy Symposium, Conversations IX: Grounding Aesthetics. The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados. November 2013.
“Prelude to a Theory of Musical Representation.” Pacific Division American Philosophical Association, Annual Meeting. San Francisco, March 2013.
“Prelude to a Theory of Musical Representation.” Illinois Philosophical Association, Annual Meeting. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, November 2012.
“Making Sense of Music.” The Philosophy of Performance: Art in Modern Society Conference. University of Notre Dame, April 2012.
“Tortured Calculations: Body Economies in Shakespeare’s Cultures of Honor.” Ohio Valley Shakespeare Conference, Annual Meeting. Michigan State University, November 2011.
PROFESSIONAL COMMENTARY
A Philosophy of Cover Songs by P.D. Magnus. American Society for Aesthetics Rocky Mountain Division, Annual Meeting. Santa Fe, July 2024.
“Hip as Aesthetic Property” by Saul Fisher. American Society for Aesthetics, Annual Meeting. Portland, OR, November 2022.
Comments on papers by Christopher Bartel, James Harold, and Nicholas Whittaker. ASA (“When Bad People Make Good Art”) Session. APA Pacific Division, Annual Meeting. Vancouver, April 2022.
“Autonomy and Aesthetic Engagement” by C. Thi Nguyen. American Society for Aesthetics, Annual Meeting. Phoenix, October 2019.
“Indifference Realism about Music” by Anton Killin. American Society for Aesthetics Eastern Division, Annual Meeting. Philadelphia, April 2019.
“Two Theories of Emotional Expression in Music” by Philip Jenkins. American Society for Aesthetics Eastern Division, Annual Meeting. Philadelphia, April 2018.
“Music and Vague Existence” by David Friedell. APA Central Division, Annual Meeting. Kansas City, March 2017.
“Scientific Models, (Anti)Fictionalism, and the Distinct Questions of Representation and Mediation” by Guilherme Sanches de Oliveira. Illinois Philosophical Association, Annual Meeting. Eastern Illinois University, November 2015.
“When Studio Meets Audience in Artistic Dance Practice” by Aili Bresnahan. Illinois Philosophical Association, Annual Meeting. Northern Illinois University, November 2011.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
American Society for Aesthetics
British Society for Aesthetics
American Philosophical Association
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
Trustee. American Society for Aesthetics. Feb. 2023–Jan. 2026.
RECOGNITION
Knox College Faculty Exceptional Achievement Award, 2021–2022.
Curriculum Vitae (Selected)
PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS
Professor of Philosophy, Knox College, Spring 2024–present
Associate Professor of Philosophy, Knox College, Spring 2017–present
Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Knox College, Fall 2014–Spring 2017
Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Knox College, Winter 2011–Spring 2014
Visiting Instructor of Philosophy, Knox College, Winter 2008–Fall 2010
EXPERTISE
Specialization: Aesthetics, Philosophy of Music, Value Theory
Competence: Ancient Greek Philosophy, Logic
EDUCATION
PhD. Philosophy, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, December 2010
MA. Philosophy, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, August 2005
BA. Philosophy, cum laude with honors, Knox College, June 2003
EDITED VOLUMES
Taylor Swift and the Philosophy of Re-recording: The Art of Taylor's Versions. Bloomsbury, January 2025. | link
PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL ARTICLES
“Shared Musical Experiences.” British Journal of Aesthetics, Vol. 59, no. 4 (October 2019).
“Prelude to a Theory of Musical Representation." Revista Musica, Vol. 17, no. 1. (2017).
“The Varieties of Musical Experience.” Pragmatism Today, Vol. 5, no. 2 (Winter 2014).
“Tortured Calculations: Body Economies in Shakespeare’s Cultures of Honor.” Selected Papers of the Ohio Valley Shakespeare Conference, Vol. 4, 2011 (January 2013).
INVITED CONTRIBUTIONS
“Taylor Swift, Fearless (Taylor’s Version).” In Bloomsbury Contemporary Aesthetics Library, ed. Darren Hudson Hick (Bloomsbury Philosophy Library, 2023), DOI: 10.5040/9781350895737.0014.
BOOK REVIEWS
“Review of Magnus, P.D., A Philosophy of Cover Songs.” Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Vol. 81, no. 1 (Winter 2022).
“Review of Nanay, Bence, Aesthetics: A Very Short Introduction.” Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Vo1. 79, no. 3 (Summer 2021).
“Review of Trivedi, Saam, Imagination, Music, and the Emotions: A Philosophical Study." Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Vol. 78, no. 1 (Winter 2020).
PUBLIC PHILOSOPHY
“Teaching Global Aesthetics" (co-authored with Elizabeth Scarbrough). American Society for Aesthetics Newsletter, Vol. 42, no. 2 (Summer 2022), 1–3.
“Game Spectation as Shared Experience.” In Let’s Play And Twitch: Where Voyeurism Meets Gaming, edited by C. Thi Nguyen and Brandon Polite, Aesthetics for Birds, online August 11, 2022.
“Five Strategies for Arguing About Art on the Internet” (co-authored with Matt Strohl). Edited by Alex King, Aesthetics for Birds, online March 23, 2021.
“Arguing About Art on the Internet, Part 1: Why We Do It, and Why It Often Goes Badly” (co-authored with Matt Strohl). Edited by Alex King, Aesthetics for Birds, online September 9, 2020.
YOUTUBE SERIES
Polite Conversations: Philosophers Discussing Art: https://www.youtube.com/c/PhilosophersDiscussingArt
INVITED PRESENTATIONS
“Taylor Swift and the Philosophy of Re-Recording":
- Purdue Normativity and Cognitions Lab. Purdue University. December 2022.
- Furman University. March 2023.
- University of Georgia. March 2023.
- Aesthetics Work Group. College of Charleston. March 2023.
“The Ethics of Re-Recordings.” American Society for Aesthetics Virtual Summer Aesthetics Festival. Sponsored by the University at Albany. Online, June 2022.
“The Fine Art of Sonic Duplication.” The Aesthetics Research Seminar. Uppsala University. Online, September 2021.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
“Are Taylor’s Versions New Works of Art?” American Society for Aesthetics, Annual Meeting. Arlington, VA, November 2023.
“Why Record Shops Matter Aesthetically” (with Aaron Meskin). ASA Southern Aesthetics Workshop, Annual Meeting. Furman University, October 2023.
“Stand-up Comedy and the Aesthetics of Revealing and Concealing” (with Mary-Beth Willard). American Society for Aesthetics Rocky Mountain Division, Annual Meeting. Santa Fe, July 2023.
“Social Gaming and the Shared Experience of Agency” (panel on voyeur gaming). American Society for Aesthetics, Annual Meeting. Montreal, November 2021.
“Infomercials and the Junk Aesthetics of Consumerism” (with John Dyck). American Society for Aesthetics Rocky Mountain Division, Annual Meeting. Santa Fe, July 2021.
“Vinyl, Album Covers, and the Continuum of Touch.” American Society for Aesthetics Eastern Division, Annual Meeting. Online, April 2021.
“Epistemic Humility and the Limits of Aesthetic Autonomy.” American Society for Aesthetics 78th Annual Meeting. Online, November 2020.
“Vinylphile Aesthetics.” Royal Musical Association Music and Philosophy Study Group, Biennial Conference. King’s College London, July 2019.
“Musical Kinds As Social Kinds: Or, There’s More Than One Way to Rock.” Essence and Context: A Conference Between Music and Philosophy. The Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. Vilnius, Lithuania, September 2016.
“Shared Musical Experiences.” Royal Musical Association Music and Philosophy Study Group, Annual Conference. King’s College London, July 2015.
“The Varieties of Musical Experience.” Aesthetic Experience and Somaesthetics Conference. Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, June 2014.
“Musical Representation and Unexploited Content.” American Society for Aesthetics Eastern Division, Annual Meeting. Philadelphia, March 2014.
“Music and the Embodied Ear: Against Musical Purism.” Cave Hill Philosophy Symposium, Conversations IX: Grounding Aesthetics. The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados. November 2013.
“Prelude to a Theory of Musical Representation.” Pacific Division American Philosophical Association, Annual Meeting. San Francisco, March 2013.
“Prelude to a Theory of Musical Representation.” Illinois Philosophical Association, Annual Meeting. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, November 2012.
“Making Sense of Music.” The Philosophy of Performance: Art in Modern Society Conference. University of Notre Dame, April 2012.
“Tortured Calculations: Body Economies in Shakespeare’s Cultures of Honor.” Ohio Valley Shakespeare Conference, Annual Meeting. Michigan State University, November 2011.
PROFESSIONAL COMMENTARY
A Philosophy of Cover Songs by P.D. Magnus. American Society for Aesthetics Rocky Mountain Division, Annual Meeting. Santa Fe, July 2024.
“Hip as Aesthetic Property” by Saul Fisher. American Society for Aesthetics, Annual Meeting. Portland, OR, November 2022.
Comments on papers by Christopher Bartel, James Harold, and Nicholas Whittaker. ASA (“When Bad People Make Good Art”) Session. APA Pacific Division, Annual Meeting. Vancouver, April 2022.
“Autonomy and Aesthetic Engagement” by C. Thi Nguyen. American Society for Aesthetics, Annual Meeting. Phoenix, October 2019.
“Indifference Realism about Music” by Anton Killin. American Society for Aesthetics Eastern Division, Annual Meeting. Philadelphia, April 2019.
“Two Theories of Emotional Expression in Music” by Philip Jenkins. American Society for Aesthetics Eastern Division, Annual Meeting. Philadelphia, April 2018.
“Music and Vague Existence” by David Friedell. APA Central Division, Annual Meeting. Kansas City, March 2017.
“Scientific Models, (Anti)Fictionalism, and the Distinct Questions of Representation and Mediation” by Guilherme Sanches de Oliveira. Illinois Philosophical Association, Annual Meeting. Eastern Illinois University, November 2015.
“When Studio Meets Audience in Artistic Dance Practice” by Aili Bresnahan. Illinois Philosophical Association, Annual Meeting. Northern Illinois University, November 2011.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
American Society for Aesthetics
British Society for Aesthetics
American Philosophical Association
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
Trustee. American Society for Aesthetics. Feb. 2023–Jan. 2026.
RECOGNITION
Knox College Faculty Exceptional Achievement Award, 2021–2022.
