Faculty Profile for Dr. Anthony Michael Cross

profile photo for Dr. Anthony Michael Cross
Dr. Anthony Michael Cross
Assistant Professor — Philosophy
CMAL 107
phone: (512) 245-2285

Biography Section

Biography and Education

I'm an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Texas State University. My primary research interests are in aesthetics and ethics; my research focuses on the normative significance of relationships with artworks and cultural objects. I also have research interests at the intersection of aesthetics and the philosophy of technology: recent work has explored the impact of the internet and emerging technologies on our artistic practices—including work on the nature and value of Internet memes; the significance of NFTs; and the use of AI in artistic production.

I also serve as the Director of Graduate Studies for the Department of Philosophy at Texas State; I am also the graduate advisor for the MA Program in Applied Philosophy and Ethics and chair the Graduate Faculty Working Group.

I completed my Ph.D. in philosophy at Princeton University, where my advisors were Alexander Nehamas and Michael Smith. I received a B.A. in philosophy from Duke University. Prior to teaching at Texas State, I was a visiting lecturer at U.C.L.A from 2013-2016.

Research Interests

Aesthetics, Ethics, Philosophy of Technology

Selected Scholarly/Creative Work

  • Cross, A. M. (2023). Ethical Issues in Internet Culture and New Media. In J. Harold (Ed.), Oxford Handbook of Ethics and Art (pp. 542–560). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197539798.013.48
  • Cross, A. M. (n.d.). Social Aesthetic Goods and Aesthetic Alienation. Philosopher’s Imprint. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3998/phimp.3475
  • Cross, A. M. (2022). Aesthetic Obligations and Aesthetic Commitments. Ergo: An Open Access Journal of Philosophy, 8, 402–422. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3998/ergo.2239
  • Cross, A. M. (2017). Art Criticism as Practical Reasoning. British Journal of Aesthetics, 57(3), 299–317. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesthj/ayx016
  • Cross, A. M. (2017). Obligations to Artworks as Duties of Love. Estetika, 54(1), 85–101. Retrieved from https://estetikajournal.org/articles/10.33134/eeja.157

Selected Awards

  • Award / Honor Recipient: Phi Beta Kappa, Duke Univesity. June 1, 2006

Selected Service Activities

Graduate Advisor
MAAPE Program
August 1, 2020-Present
Co-Chair
American Society for Aesthetics Annual Meeting
August 1, 2023-October 23, 2024
Reviewer / Referee
Journal of Applied Philosophy
April 1, 2024-Present
Chair
Graduate Faculty Working Group
September 8, 2023-Present
Reviewer / Referee
The Journal of Philosophy
February 22, 2023-Present