Dr Dejan Simkovic

Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, National MA Philosophy Coordinator
BPhil/MA (equivalent to magna cum laude or first-class honours) (Philosophy) (University of Belgrade), Magisterium/MPhil (equivalent to summa cum laude) (Philosophy) (University of Belgrade), PhD (Philosophy) (University of Sydney) 

Email: dejan.simkovic@nd.edu.au
Phone: 02 8204 4236

  • Biography

    Teaching Experience

    2024 – present, the University of Notre Dame Sydney

    • Senior Lecturer (History of Philosophy: Modern Philosophy; Metaethics; Epistemology; Critical Thinking)

    2016 – present, the University of Notre Dame Sydney

    • Lecturer (History of Philosophy: Modern Philosophy (early modern philosophy to 19th century); Metaethics; Logos–Philosophy and Ethics)

    2013 – 2015, the University of Notre Dame Sydney

    • Associate Lecturer (History of Philosophy: Modern Philosophy (early modern philosophy to 19th century); Logos – Philosophy and Ethics)

    2009 –  2013, the University of Notre Dame Sydney

    • Philosophy and Ethics Tutor

    2009 – 2011, University of Sydney

    • Philosophy Tutor (PHIL1011 - ‘Reality, Beauty, and Ethics’; PHIL2617 - ‘Practical Ethics’)

    2006 – 2008, University of Belgrade

    • Assistant Professor (equivalent to Associate Lecturer: Introduction to Ethics; Metaethics; Practical Ethics; History of Philosophy: from Kant to Nietzsche; Normative Ethics)

    Education
    2015, Ph.D., University of Sydney

    • Thesis title: ‘Hume’s Account of Moral Distinctions (the role of reason and sentiment in moral evaluation)’

    2008, Magisterium (equivalent to MPhil; GPA: 100/100) in Moral Philosophy, the University of Belgrade

    • Thesis title: 'David Hume and the 'is-ought' question'

    2002, Graduate Philosopher (equivalent to BPhil/Masters in Philosophy; GPA: 90/100), the University of Belgrade

    • Thesis title: 'The difference between Kant's and Fichte's understanding of self-consciousness'

    Current Projects

    • Scientific research project: “Humans and Society in Times of Crisis”, financed by the Faculty of Philosophy – University of Belgrade

  • Teaching areas

    • History of Philosophy: Modern Philosophy
    • Epistemology
    • Moral Philosophy
    • Metaethics
    • Applied Ethics
    • Critical Thinking

  • Research expertise and supervision

    • Modern Philosophy (especially David Hume; moral rationalism; modern accounts of the nature of moral evaluation and moral epistemology)
    • Moral Philosophy (especially 17th, 18th and 19th century moral theory, including Kant)
    • Metaethics (especially the nature of moral judgment, moral epistemology and ontology, moral psychology, and moral phenomenology)

  • Book chapters

    • Chapters 6 ('Knowledge') and 18 ('Ethics, moral phenomenology and moral experience'), in Angus Brook (Ed.) An Introduction to Philosophy and Theology within Catholic Liberal Education, McGraw-Hill Education, 2015.

  • Journal articles and proceedings

    • Šimković, D. (2021) Hume’s Use of “Moral Distinctions” in Treatise 3.1.1. Hume Studies, 44(2), 2018, 209-247.
    • Šimković, D., Coventry A., and Kail P.J.E. (Eds.). (2021). Hume's Legacy. Special Issue of the Belgrade Philosophical Annual, Issue 34.
    • Review of Chapters 56 (‘Hume: Passion and Reason’) and 58 (‘Hume: The Moral Sense’) of Terence Irwin’s The Development of Ethics, The Philosophical Forum, Vol. XLII, No. 3, Fall 2011

  • Conference papers

    2024, ‘Hume: Past, Present, and Future’, the 50th Annual Hume Society Conference, University of Oxford, UK

    • Commentator

    2023, ‘Explanation and Understanding in Philosophy and Science’ Conference, "Philosophy and Science" conference series, Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade

    • Member of the Scientific Committee

    2023, Department of Philosophy, Institute of Philosophy, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade

    • Master Class: ‘Hume’s Natural History of Religion’

    2018, Center for the Study of Scottish Philosophy Spring Conference, “The Scottish Tradition: Explaining its Rise, Understanding its Legacy”, Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton NJ, USA.

    2017, Conference Theme: ‘Deviant Thinking: Early Modern Philosophy and the Enlightenment’, The Australasian Seminar in Early Modern in Philosophy (ASEMP), hosted by SIHN's Enlightenment Thinking Project, University of Sydney, Australia

    • Paper Title: ‘Is (mono)theism an option for epistemically virtuous Humean agents?’

    2016, 43rd International Hume Society Conference, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

    • Paper Title: ‘Hume’s Approach to Wollaston’

    2015, Philosophy Seminar, School of Humanities and Languages, UNSW, Australia

    • Paper Title: ‘Hume’s Account of Moral Distinctions’

    2015, ‘Hume and Naturalism’ workshop, Grey College, Durham University, UK

    • Paper Title: 'Hume on the Origin of the Moral Merit of Actions: the Principle of Humanity'

    2015, The 42st Annual Hume Society Conference, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden

    • Commentator

    2014, The 41st Annual Hume Society Conference, Portland, Oregon USA;

    • Paper Title: ‘Hume's account of moral distinctions’

    2012, 'Judgment and Justification' conference, University of Tampere, Finland;

    • Paper Title: ‘A non-orthodox Humean account of moral judgment’

    2012, Australasian Philosophy Conference, University of Wollongong, Australia;

    • Paper Title: ‘Clarke and Hume on moral phenomenology: an unlikely alliance against skepticism (or What should metaethicians learn from Clarke and Hume)’

    2012, 'Humean Readings' conference, La Sapienza University of Rome, Italy;

    • Paper Title: ‘Hume on 'moral evaluation', 'reason alone' and sentiment - long neglected distinctions’

    2011, The 38th International Hume Society Conference "Hume after 300 years", The Old College, University of Edinburgh;

    • Paper Title: ‘Criticism of Moral Relations in Treatise 3.1.1’

    2010, "The Rise of Empiricism" Conference, University of Sydney, Australia

    • Paper Title: ‘Hume against moral rationalism’

    2009, The Australian Postgraduate Philosophy Conference, Macquarie University, Australia

    • ‘Role of the Concept of ‘Relation’ in Hume’s ‘is-ought’ Paragraph’

  • Professional Affiliations

    • The Hume Society (member; referee for Hume Studies)
    • Australasian Association of Philosophy (member)
    • The British Society for the History of Philosophy (member)
    • The Southern Journal of Philosophy (referee)
    • Topoi (referee; special issue)

  • Community engagement

    • 2024, Annual Philosophy Essay Competition, The Philosophy in Schools Association of NSW
    • 2023, Philosothon, The Philosophy in Schools Association of NSW

  • Awards

    • The Hume Society's Young Hume Scholar Award (2014)
    • Research Incentive Scheme, the University of Notre Dame Sydney (2014)
    • Travel Bursary for the ‘Interdisciplinarity in Medieval and Early Modern Research’ Conference and the ANZAMEMS Advanced Postgraduate Training Seminar – Awarded by the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand (2013)
    • The University of Notre Dame Australia Vice Chancellor's Award for promoting excellence in teaching, learning and supervision (2013)
    • Postgraduate Research Support Scheme, the University of Sydney (2012)
    • Australian Postgraduate Award (2009-2012)
    • The Hume Society's Young Hume Scholar Award (2011)