Elizabeth Baeten

Professor Emerita, School of Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies

Emeritus

At Emerson since 1990

Campus

Boston

Department

Marlboro Institute for Liberal Arts

Education

  • B.A., University of Wisconsin, Green Bay
  • Ph.D., State University of New York, Stony Brook

Elizabeth Baeten is a philosopher who taught courses in Ethics and Values Perspective.

Baeten’s first book, The Magic Mirror: Myth’s Abiding Power, is an interdisciplinary examination of myth as a particularly potent cultural force—even our contemporary theories about myth play a role similar to that played by ancient mythical narratives in their original cultural contexts. Her current work in philosophy of biology examines our scientific narratives and how these, like mythic narratives, shape how human beings experience the most fundamental aspects of existence. Of particular interest are evolutionary biology, evolutionary ethics, and evolutionary psychology, which she explores in several of her courses. She has also published essays in these areas, which have appeared in Contemporary Pragmatism, Studies in Practical Philosophy, The Pluralist, and elsewhere.