Dr. Anne Collins Smith
      Anne Collins Smith, Ph.D.
      Associate Professor of Philosophy & Classical Studies
      Division of Communication and Contemporary Culture
      Program in Global Media and Contemporary Culture
      Stephen F. Austin State University
      Box 13048 SFA Station
      Nacogdoches TX 75962
      acsmith@sfasu.edu
      (936) 468-2327
      Photo of Dr. Anne
      Links
      • Greece
      • Posters for classes in philosophy and classical studies.
      • Article in the Pine Log (SFA student paper) describing the philosophers' move to Global Media and Contemporary Culture. Also mirrored here.
      • Harry Potter Publicity
      • Other Publicity

        Education
        Ph.D., Philosophy, December 1991. The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX.
        M.A., Philosophy, May 1984, and B.A. Honors Philosophy and Classics (magna cum laude), May 1983. The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.

        Areas of Specialization
        Ancient & Medieval Philosophy, Classical Metaphysics and Natural Theology

        Areas of Competence
        History of Philosophy, Introductory Logic & Critical Thinking, Ethics, Philosophy in Popular Culture, Classical and Medieval Latin, Classical Greek.

        Courses Taught
        • Philosophy: Introduction to Philosophy; Logic; Ethical Theory; Ancient Philosophy; Medieval Philosophy; Women in Philosophy; Introduction to Gender Studies; Philosophy of Religion; Utopias & Dystopias; Philosophy in Martial Arts; Philosophy in Science Fiction; Philosophy in Star Trek; Philosophy in Harry Potter.
        • Classical Studies: Elementary, Intermediate, & Advanced Latin; Elementary & Advanced Greek; Gender in Ancient Greece.
        • Humanities: Introduction to Humanities; Arts & Contemporary Society.

        Positions Held
        • Associate Professor, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX Fall 2010-present
        • Assistant Professor, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX Fall 2005-Summer 2010
        • Lecturer, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX Summer 2004-Summer 2005
        • Educational Consultant, Quadrivium Educational Consulting Fall 2002-Spring 2004
        • Assistant Professor, Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove PA Fall 1996-August 2002
        • Instructor, Austin Community College, Austin, TX Fall 1991-Summer 1996
        • Lecturer, Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos, TX Fall 91-Spring 94, Fall 95
        • Lecturer, the University of Texas at Austin, Spring 1993-Summer 1994
        • Graduate Assistant, the University of Texas at Austin, Fall 1985-Summer 1991

        Dissertation
        Adviser: Louis H. Mackey
        Topic: A Translation and Analysis of Thomas Aquinas’ Expositio Super Librum de Causis

        Foreign Languages
        French, German, Latin, Greek.


        Presentations:
        • "The Power to Imagine Better: The Philosophy of Harry Potter" Conference at Marymount Manhattan College, October 2011: "Voldemort Tyrannos: Plato's Tyrant in the Republic and the Wizarding World," joint presentation with Owen M. Smith
        • Potterwatch 2011, UNC-Charlotte, October 2011: "A Man Whose Name Really Should Be Albus: Kant's notion of free play in the Ministry of Magic's 'Ascendio.'"
        • Mythcon 41, Dallas, TX, July 2010: "Virtue's Evil Twin: Draco Malfoy and the Acquisition of Vice."
        • Oz 2009: The Yellow Brick Road in the 21st Century, Henderson State University, Arkadelphia, AR, July 2009: "Memories Cloaked in Magic: Memory and Identity in Tin Man."
        • 11th Annual Foster and Adoptive Training Conference, sponsored by the SFA School of Social Work: "Faith and Fostering," joint presentation with Owen M. Smith and Kathleen Belanger.
        • Classical Association of the Southwestern United States, Mescalero, New Mexico, September 2005: "Plato Goes to Middle School: Confirming and Challenging Contemporary Theories of Philosophy for Children," joint presentation with Owen M. Smith (considerably expanded and revised since PCA).
        • 37th International Medieval Congress, Kalamazoo, Michigan, May 2002: "From Dynamis to Virtus in Two Difficult Steps: The Metaphysical Effect of a Linguistic Decision as seen in Thomas Aquinas' Commentary on the Latin version of the Liber de Causis."
        • 36th International Medieval Congress, Kalamazoo, Michigan, May 2001: "The Assimilation of the Intelligences in Thomas Aquinas' Commentary on the Liber de Causis."
        • 34th International Medieval Congress, Kalamazoo, Michigan, May 1999: "Membership or Transcendence? Being, Life, and Intelligence in Thomas Aquinas' Commentary on the Liber de Causis."
        • Pennsylvania Classical Association, October 1998: "Plato Goes to Middle School," joint presentation with Owen M. Smith.
        • Susquehanna University Student-Sponsored Forum, November 1998: "Multiculturalism in Star Trek."
        • Susquehanna University Faculty Colloquium, October 1998: "Arab Influence on 13th Century Medieval European Philosophy."
        • Plymouth Medieval Studies Forum, April 1998: "The Legitimacy of the Analogy of Being in Aquinas’ Commentary on the Liber de Causis"
        • Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association National Conference, April 1998: "'As Clever And Deceitful As He Is Powerful': Descartes’ Concept of the Evil Genius in the Star Trek: The Next Generation Episode 'Ship in a Bottle'"

        Publications:
        • Co-authored with Owen Smith. "Pragmatism and Meaning: Assessing the Message of Star Trek: The Original Series" in Participations: Journal of Audience & Reception Studies, November 2011.
        • "Harry Potter, Radical Feminism, and the Power of Love," printed in Bassham, Gregory, The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy: Hogwarts for Muggles, Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series (Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2010).
        • "Memories Cloaked in Magic: Memory and Identity in Tin Man," printed in The Universe of Oz: Essays on Baum's Series and its Progeny. Kevin Durand and Mary Leigh, editors. McFarland Publishing, 2010.
        • Entry on the distinction between the universal and particular in ancient philosophy, invited contribution to Themes in Ancient and Modern Philosophy. Jill Hernandez, editor. Kendall-Hunt, 2009.
        • "Playing [with] Multiple Roles: Readers, Authors, and Characters in 'Who is Blaise Zabini?'". The Journal of Transformative Works and Cultures, Vol. 3, 2009.
        • Translation of excerpts from the Problemata of Heloise, together with the accompanying Solutiones of Peter Abelard, with annotations designed to assist Latin students and an introductory essay. Published in the anthology Women Writing in Latin, edited by Jane Jeffrey, Laurie Churchill, and Phyllis Brown, 2002.
        • Co-authored with Owen M. Smith. Ten entries for the reference work Medieval Europe and the Rise of Christendom, 500-1300 AD: an Interdisciplinary Biographical Dictionary, edited by Jana Schulman, 2002.
        • “The Philosophy of Star Trek: Popular Culture as Hermeneutical Springboard,” Teaching Philosophy, Dec. 1995 (18:4).
        • Accepted by InteLex for the Complete Works of Thomas Aquinas on CD-ROM: Translation of Aquinas' Commentary on the Liber de Causis.

        Book reviews

        Published online:

        Published in print:

        • In Teaching Philosophy: Enterprise Zones by Harrison, Ono, Projansky & Helford.
        • In The Journal of American Culture: Textual Poachers by Henry Jenkins.
          The Metaphysics of Star Trek by Richard Hanley.
        • In The Journal of Popular Culture: Enterprising Women by Camille Bacon-Smith.
        • In FEMSPEC: Deep Space, Sacred Time by Wagner and Lundeen.



        DISSERTATION ABSTRACT
         I provide both a translation and an analysis of this historical philosophical work previously not available in English, in which Thomas Aquinas first reveals that the popular medieval text known as the Liber de Causis is in fact a synopsis of Proclus’ Elements of Theology.

        It is easy to demonstrate that Thomas purports to be giving a straight account of the meaning of the Liber de Causis. He is at pains to correct false impressions, and there is an underlying presumption that if the Liber de Causis is explicated correctly, then it will concord with the truth. On the other hand, the way in which Thomas proceeds to understand the Liber de Causis “correctly” is at odds with what the text actually says. My analysis is intended to show that Thomas’ interpretation is often inconsistent with the wording of the Liber de Causis itself, and with its neoplatonic origin. The problem of natural theology is a natural focus for this discussion, since it is an issue where Thomas holds strong opinions. I examine three particular issues concerning the nature of God: Thomas’ identification of the Christian God as the “First Cause” of the Liber de Causis; Thomas’ identification of the principles of Being, Life, and Intelligence expounded in the Liber de Causis with God’s essence; and Thomas’ identification of God as the neoplatonic “One Beyond Being.” I conclude by examining Thomas’ method of interpetation, comparing it to previous models, and suggesting possible philosophical motives.