Education

Ph.D. in Philosophy, The University of California, San Diego (UCSD), 2024

• Dissertation title: “Beyond Mechanism: Rethinking Kant’s Philosophy of Nature with the Critique of the Power of Judgment”
  
• Committee: Clinton Tolley (chair), Eric Watkins, Monte Johnson, Lucy Allais (Johns Hopkins University), Karen Ng (Vanderbilt University), Page DuBois (UCSD Department of Literature)
  
  

M.A. in Philosophy, The New School for Social Research (NSSR), 2017

• Thesis title: “Intuiting the Incomprehensible: The Case for Kantian Nonconceptualism,” defended for a high pass
  
• Committee: Zed Adams, Clinton Tolley
  
  

B.A. with honors in English Literature, minor in Philosophy, Xavier University, 2014

Publications

González, Juan Carlos (Forthcoming). “Leaving Room for Life: Kant and the Inorganicism Challenge.” Kant’s Project of Enlightenment: Proceedings of the 14th International Kant Congress.
De Gruyter.

González, Juan Carlos (Forthcoming). “Believing in Organisms: Kant's Non-Mechanistic Philosophy of Nature.” Studies in History and Philosophy of Science.

González, Juan Carlos (Forthcoming). “Inter-American Philosophy as Identity Therapy.” Inter-American Journal of Philosophy. Recipient of the 2024 Inter-American Philosophy Award.

González, Juan Carlos (2023). “La revolución kantiana de Antonio Caso.” In V.A. Armella & A.P. Chagoyán (Eds.), Argumentos de filosofía política de la tercera y cuarta transformaciones de
México (pp. 61-80). Editorial Lambda.

González, Juan Carlos (2023). “A Revised Existentialist Look at the Americans.” Inter-American Journal of Philosophy 14 (2):36-51. Recipient of the 2023 Inter-American Philosophy Award.

Research Articles in Progress

An article on Mexican aesthetics and its relationship to the Kantian tradition, R&R

An article on Cuban philosopher José Martí‘s philosophy of race, under review

An article on Kant’s reception of Aristotelian teleology, under review  

“Kant on life and its value”

“From organisms to God: A non-mechanistic reading of the Methodology of the Critique of the Teleological Power of Judgment”

“From Germany, to Mexico, and back: Friedrich Schiller and Antonio Caso on aesthetics as a remedy to existential crisis” 

(For more info about my ongoing research check out my

Research

page.)

Awards & Honors

^{(For essay prizes, I include a brief description of the prize, the title of the paper that received the award, and, when available, a link to an official announcement.)}

Selected to participate in the Northeast Workshop to Learn About Multicultural Philosophy (NEWLAMP), June 2024
The National Endowment for the Humanities & Northeastern University

Outstanding Graduate Student Essay Prize, March 2024
Existential Aesthetics Conference (hosted by Northern Michigan University)

• Description: Awarded to two outstanding graduate student essays submitted to the conference
  
• Paper Title: “From Germany, to Mexico, and back: Friedrich Schiller and Antonio Caso on aesthetics as a remedy to existential crisis”
  

The Inter-American Philosophy Award, March 2024
The Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy

• Description: The Committee on Inter-American Relations presents the Inter-American Philosophy Award to the best submitted paper concerning Latin American, Latino/a, or Indigenous philosophies across the Americas that is presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy.
  
• Paper Title: “The US Latinx Condition: Historical Perspectives, Contemporary Approaches”
  

Nominated to serve on the APA Graduate Student Council, Fall 2023
The American Philosophical Association

Oga Po'geh Prize, June 2023
The American Society for Aesthetics

• Description: Awarded to the best paper on Latinx and/or Native American indigenous art practice and cultural thought submitted to the annual meeting of the Rocky Mountain Division of the American Society for Aesthetics
• Paper Title: “On Kant, Vasconcelos, and the role of aesthetics in 20th century Mexican politics”
• Website: ASA's Press Release Announcing the Award 

Center for Philosophical Studies Best Graduate Essay Prize Award, May 2023
The American Society for Aesthetics

• Description: Awarded to the best graduate student essays presented at the 39th Annual Rocky Mountain Meeting of the American Society for Aesthetics
  
• Paper Title: “On Kant, Vasconcelos, and the role of aesthetics in 20th century Mexican politics”
  

Irene H. Chayes Travel Grant, May 2023
The American Society for Aesthetics

The Inter-American Philosophy Award, March 2023
The Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy

• Description: The Committee on Inter-American Relations presents the Inter-American Philosophy Award to the best submitted paper concerning Latin American, Latino/a, or indigenous philosophies across the Americas that is presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy.
  
• Paper Title: “A revised existentialist look at the Americans (or what Simone de Beauvoir should have learned from the Mexistentialists)”
  
• Website: https://american-philosophy.org/awards/the-inter-american-philosophy-award/
  

UC San Diego Center for Hellenistic Studies Translation Scholarship, Winter 2023
University of California, San Diego

GPSA Travel Grant Award, Winter 2023
University of California, San Diego

Summer Graduate Teaching Scholar, Summer 2022
University of California, San Diego

The Arts and Humanities Dean’s Travel Award, Summer 2018
University of California, San Diego

Philosophy Department Travel Grant, Summer 2018
University of California, San Diego

Competitive Travel Stipend for the 8th International Summer School in German Philosophy, Summer 2018 Universität Bonn

Provost’s Scholarship, Fall 2014 – Spring 2016
The New School for Social Research

Wentersdorf Award for Excellence in the Study of Shakespeare, May 2014
Xavier University

Selected Talks

“From Germany, to Mexico, and back: Friedrich Schiller and Antonio Caso on aesthetics as a remedy for existential crisis,” 2025 APA Central Division Meeting, online, February 2025

“José Martí‘s cultural constructionist theory of race as a critique of imperialism,” Bates College, Lewiston, ME, November 2024 (invited talk)

“Did Kant Care About Aristotle? On Sections 72-73 of the Critique of the Power of Judgment,” 2024 Meeting of the Midwest Study Group of the North American Kant Society, Milwaukee, WI, November 2024

“From Germany, to Mexico, and back: Friedrich Schiller and Antonio Caso on aesthetics as a remedy for existential crisis,” the 82nd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Aesthetics, Chicago, IL, October 2024  

“From Germany, to Mexico, and back: Friedrich Schiller and Antonio Caso on aesthetics as a remedy for existential crisis,” Existential Aesthetics Conference, Marquette, MI, July 2024

“Did Kant Care About Aristotle? On Sections 72-73 of the Critique of the Power of Judgment,” North American Kant Society Southern Study Group Meeting, Columbia, SC, May 2024 (declined due to scheduling conflict)

“Beyond positivism and anti-positivism: José Martí on unity, autonomy, race, and education,” April 2024 Latinx Philosophy Conference, New York City, NY, April 2024

“Inter-American perspectives on the US Latinx: Martí, Locke, and Uranga,” 2024 Meeting of the Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy, Boston, MA, March 2024

“Schiller in Mexico,” APA Central Division Meeting, New Orleans, LA, February 2024

“Walking the path of taste: How Kant's aesthetics shapes early 20th century Mexican politics,” Colby College, Waterville, ME, February 2024 (invited talk)

“Beyond positivism and anti-positivism: José Martí on unity, autonomy, race, and education,” UCSD FiloMex Lab, December 2023

"Did Kant Care About Aristotle? On Sections 72-73 of the Critique of the Power of Judgment," History of Philosophy Roundtable, UCSD, November 2023

“On Kant, Vasconcelos, and the role of aesthetics in 20th century Mexican politics,” Rocky Mountain Meeting of the American Society for Aesthetics, Santa Fe, NM, July 2023

“Kant’s doctrine of the organism and the threat of organic materialism”, Berkeley-Stanford-Davis Graduate Conference, Palo Alto, CA, April 2023

“Leaving room for life: Kant and the inorganicism challenge,”  APA Pacific Division Meeting, San Francisco, CA, April 2023 (invited talk)

“A revised existentialist look at the Americans (or what Simone de Beauvoir could have learned from the Mexistentialists),” The 50th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy, Denver, CO, March 2023

“A revised existentialist look at the Americans (or what Simone de Beauvoir could have learned from the Mexistentialists),” UCSD FiloMex Lab, January 2023

“How Kant’s definition of purposiveness explodes his concept of the concept,” History of Philosophy Roundtable, UCSD, Fall 2022

“Kantian themes in the philosophy of Antonio Caso,” UCSD FiloMex Lab, Winter 2022

“Hilos kantianos en la filosofía de Antonio Caso,” Universidad Panamericana, Mexico City, Mexico, Fall 2021

“Kant’s conception of life,” History of Philosophy Roundtable, UCSD, Spring 2021

“Kant on psychology,” Kant Roundtable, UCSD, Spring 2020

“Places and Space: A (Re)Reading of the First Metaphysical Exposition of the Concept of Space”, UCSD Graduate Student Conference, April 2018

“Cognitive Impenetrability and the Nonconceptual Contents of Perception”, Louisiana State University’s Graduate Student Conference, April 2016

Response to Professor Stephen R. Grimm’s “The Ethics of Understanding”, New York City’s Wittgenstein Workshop, April 2016

Teaching Experience

Instructor of Record, UCSD Philosophy, Summer 2022 and Winter 2024

Adjunct Professor, Grossmont College, Spring 2022 and Spring 2023

Teaching Assistant, UCSD Philosophy, 2017-2024

Teaching Assistant, UCSD Revelle Humanities Writing Program, 2019-2020

(For a full list of courses taught, some of my syllabuses, and teaching evals, check out my

Teaching

page.)

Service

Service to the profession

Anonymous Reviewer, Rowman & Littlefield Publishing

Session chair for “Philosophy of Art and Aesthetic Normativity,” Central APA, February 2025

Chairperson on the Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy's Committee on Inter-American Relations, 2024-

Session chair for “On Politics,” the 51st Annual Meeting of the Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy, Boston, MA, March 2024

Session chair for "Women Philosophers in 19th Century German Philosophy," Pacific APA, April 2023

Service to home institutions

Graduate peer mentor, UCSD Philosophy, 2021-24

Co-organizer, UCSD Mexican Philosophy Lab, 2023-2024

Co-organizer and reviewer, UCSD Modern Philosophy Conference, Fall 2021-Spring 2022

Advisory board and admissions committee, Summer Program for Women in Philosophy, UCSD, 2017-2019

Organizer, Student-Led PhD Application Workshop, NSSR, Fall 2016   

Spanish: fluent

German: reading

Ancient Greek: reading

French: reading

Translations

Aspe Armella, Virginia. 2021. "The Renaissance Reception of Nahua Paideia in the Writings of Bernardino de Sahagún: An Aesthetic Approach to Religion" Religions 12, no. 12: 1070.
Translated from Spanish to English

“Riendo, Llorando, Ira, Euthumia, Melancolía, y la anécdota Demócrito y Heráclito“, a talk presented by Monte R. Johnson
Translated from English to Spanish, awarded UC San Diego Center for Hellenistic Studies Translation Scholarship

Aspe Armella, Virginia. Aristotle and New Spain [Tentative Title]. Forthcoming with Routledge Press.
Original monograph: Aspe Armella, Virginia. Aristóteles y Nueva España. Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades, México. 2018. 453 págs.
Translated from Spanish to English

In Divergent Scholasticism: Interpreting Nature, Society, and Philosophy in Early Modern Europe and the Americas, eds. Abel Aravena Zamora & Nicola Polloni. Routledge: Taylor & Francis Group (forthcoming):

• “José de Acosta’s Epistemological Revision of Scholasticism” by Francisco Castilla Urbano
  
• “Towards a philosophy of 16th century New Spain: Voyages, colleges, libraries, and the case of Alonzo de la Veracruz” by Virginia Aspe Armella
• “Heavenly Bodies and American Enlightenment: The Case of Manuel Antonio Talavera" by Abel Aravena Zamora and Francisco Cordero Morales

Translated from Spanish to English

Professional Affiliations

American Philosophical Association

American Society for Aesthetics

North American Kant Society

Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy

HyFlex Training, Grossmont College Winter-Spring 2023

Distanced Teaching Certification, Grossmont College, granted Spring 2022

College Teaching Training, UCSD Teaching + Learning Commons, granted Spring 2022

Diversity in Online Teaching, UCSD, granted Spring 2020

Humanities Pedagogy Seminar, UCSD Revelle Writing Program, Fall 2018