Leigh K. Duffy, Ph.D.

SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching

Area of Specialization: Philosophy of Mind, Epistemology

Area of Competence: Emotion Theory, Zen Buddhism, Yoga Philosophy 

Courses Taught: Introduction to Philosophy, Meaning of Life, Minds and Machines, Philosophy of Yoga, Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Emotions, Zen Buddhism 

Recent Publications: 

“Me, Myself, and Music: The Essence of Gen-X Through the Art of the Mix-Tape” in 90s Alternative Music and Philosophy, ed., Richard Greene and Josh Heter. McFarland and Co. Publishers Inc. forthcoming 2025

“Know Thy (Non-)Self: Meditation, Psychedelics, and Personal Identity” in The Palgrave Handbook of Philosophy and Psychoactive Drug Use, ed., Robert Lovering. Palgrave Macmillan. October 2024

“Yoga, Ethics, and Philosophy.” Journal of Indian Philosophy and Religion. Vol 26. December 2021

“Up in the Air as Philosophy: Buddhism and the Middle Path” in The Palgrave Handbook on Popular Culture as Philosophy. October 2020

“The Memorability of Supernatural Concepts: Effects of Minimal Counterintuitiveness, Moral Valence, and Existential Anxiety on Recall” (with James Beebe). The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion. 2020

“Action and Inaction: Reasons to Act in The Bhagavad Gita.” Cultura, International Journal of Philosophy of Culture and Axiology. 2019

“Anything is Possible?: Explaining False Beliefs About Possibility.” Grazer Philosophiche Studien – International Journal for Analytic Philosophy. 2016

Select Recent Presentations

“Me, Myself, and Music: Personal Identity and the Art of the Mix-Tape”. Popular Culture Association Conference. New Orleans, LA. April 2025

 “Know Thy (Non-)Self: Meditation, Psychedelics, and Personal Identity”. Popular Culture Association Conference. Chicago, IL. March 2024 

“The Ethics of Creating Consciousness”. American Philosophical Association Eastern Meeting. New York, NY. January 2024

“Using Yoga and Mindfulness Practices to Teach Philosophy”. American Philosophical Association Pacific Meeting. San Francisco, CA. April 2023

“The Ethics of Creating Consciousness in Klara and the Sun”. Popular Culture Association Conference. San Antonio, TX. April 2023

“Epistemic Vices and Conspiracy Theories: The Consequences of Believing that Anything Is Possible”. Public Vices: The Individual and Collective Dimension of Civic and Epistemic Vices. ARETAI. Universita di Genova, Genova, Italy. October 2021

“Using Yoga to Teach Philosophy”. North American Association for Philosophy and Education Conference. Chicago, IL. October 2021

“What It Would Take to Be Enlightened.” Mind and Personhood Colloquium. American Philosophical Association Pacific Meeting. April 2021

“What It Would Take to Be Enlightened.” Knowledge and Justification Session of the Society for Indian Philosophy and Religion. American Philosophical Association Central Meeting. February 2021

“What Would it Take to Be Enlightened?” Invited speaker at the City of Good Neighbors Philosophy Conference. University at Buffalo. Buffalo, NY. April 2019

“The Ethics and Philosophy of Yoga.” Society for Indian Philosophy and Religion. American Philosophical Association Pacific Meeting. San Francisco, CA. April 2016