Laura Mueller
Assistant Professor of Philosophy
Office: Classroom Center 325F
Email: lmueller@wtamu.edu
Phone: 806-651-2458
Professional Profile
Dr. Laura J. Mueller joined the Department of English, Philosophy, and Modern Languages at WT in 2020. She received a BA in Philosophy from McKendree University (Lebanon, IL) in 2008. In 2010, she earned her MA in Philosophy at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC); she remained at SIUC for her PhD, and achieved the degree in 2015. From 2015—2016, Dr. Mueller was a Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Luther College (Decorah, Iowa). From 2016-2020, Dr. Mueller was a Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, MN).
In 2022, she complemented her degrees with a certification as a Logic-Based Consultant; her certification is through the Logic-Based Therapy and Consultation Institute.
Teaching and Related Service
Dr. Mueller has taught a plethora of courses during her career. Between her time at WTAMU and various other institutions, her classes include: Ethics, Introduction to Philosophy, Modern Philosophy, Philosophies of the Environment, Social and Political Philosophy, courses on philosophy and education, and Myth and Matriarchy courses.
Along with her colleagues in the Philosophy Program, Dr. Mueller helps to organize the Philosophy Club.
Research and Creative Activity
Dr. Mueller’s research focuses on the intersections of Philosophy of Culture, Philosophy of Education, and Philosophy as a Way of Life. Inspired by the German theories of Bildung, Dr. Mueller investigates the ways in which learning philosophy can be transformative to the individual, and the role that education plays in the creation and maintenance of culture. She also researches and publishes on the works of Kant, particularly his Critique of Judgment and his views on personhood. Representative publications include: “Bring out Your Dead: Human Bodies, Cultural Objects, and Personality,” in The Cultural Power of Personal Objects (SUNY: 2021); and “Modern Socratic Dialogue and Resilient Democracy: Creating the Clearing for an American Bildung,” in Eidos. A Journal for Philosophy of Culture. She is an editor for Eidos. A Journal for Philosophy of Culture, which is an international, open-access journal based out of the University of Warsaw.