Philosophy PhD Graduate Works at the Forefront of the Ethics of Technology

Christopher Quintana ’24 PhD

VILLANOVA, Pa. - “Christopher Quintana ’24 PhD sees the value of philosophy for the world,” says Villanova University Professor of Philosophy Sally Scholz, PhD.

Dr. Quintana, who graduated from Villanova’s Philosophy doctoral program in May, specializes in the philosophy and ethics of technology. His dissertation, Characterizing Digital Design: A Philosophical Approach, evaluates user interface and experience design through Aristotle’s ideas of virtues, especially the virtue of practical rationality. Specifically, he explores how technology design can impact and undermine an individual’s capacity for independent practical reasoning. What happens to us when so much of our social and personal activity is mediated by technology? How do our relationships to technology change?

“Christopher is a creative philosopher working at the forefront of the burgeoning subfield of philosophy and technology,” adds Dr. Scholz, who served as the director of Dr. Quintana’s dissertation committee. “He draws on the ancient tradition of virtue theory to scrutinize user interface in information communication technologies and to articulate principles that could guide the development of a good or virtuous design of technology.  His research promises to transform the human/technology relation.”

Most recently, Dr. Quintana authored a chapter, “Ethics at the Intersection: Human-Centered AI and User Experience Design,” in a new book, Human-Centered AI, published in March 2024. Dr. Quintana was a finalist and Audience Choice Award winner at the 2022 Villanova 3MT competition, and a participant in the 2021 CLAS Graduate Research Symposium. He was awarded a CLAS Graduate Summer Research Fellowship, four CLAS Graduate Studies Travel Grants, and the John G. Tich Memorial Award for Excellence in Research. He served as the managing editorial assistant at the journal Social Epistemology: A Journal of Knowledge, Culture and Policy and was a graduate fellow at the Collegium Institute for Catholic Thought and Culture at the University of Pennsylvania. He has published on moral and social issues in technology and has presented at conferences in the U.S. and abroad. In addition to his scholarship at Villanova, he taught the undergraduate philosophy course, Knowledge, Reality, Self.

“Christopher’s dissertation puts him in conversation with some of the leading ethicists in the field, shaping policy for the coming years,” says Dr. Scholz. “He has published on these topics and participated in workshops and conferences around the world, suggesting that his work is at the heart of contemporary philosophical and technological debates. Philosophers need to be at the table in discussions about the ethics of AI and the pernicious use of smart phones.”

In addition to Dr. Scholz, Dr. Quintana’s dissertation committee included Villanova faculty Georg Theiner, PhD and Justin Humphreys, PhD, as well as James Wetzel, PhD, who served at the proposal stage. Later, Shannon Vallor, PhD, director of the Centre for Technomoral Futures within the Edinburgh Futures Institute at the University of Edinburgh, joined as an external reader. Dr. Vallor is a leading scholar in technology ethics.

Says Dr. Quintana, “I enjoyed my time in coursework, but I hit my stride after I formed my dissertation committee. All committee members were generous in their mentorship, feedback and spirit.”

The prominence of the Philosophy faculty and the research support offered by the department and the Office of Graduate Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) drew Dr. Quintana to Villanova.

“The Philosophy PhD program has an impressive range of scholars in varying intellectual traditions. We also maintain a consistent interest in contemporary social issues and the history of our discipline. Our breadth helps students develop the capacity to translate concepts and ideas across traditions, styles and levels of expertise,” Dr. Quintana says. “I also appreciate that the PhD program and CLAS Graduate Studies contribute to grants and fellowships for independent research and conference presentations. Learning how to develop and carry out research proposals, present your work, connect with other scholars, and engage international or interdisciplinary audiences, is an important part of graduate education.”

Dr. Quintana continues to present his scholarship at conferences this summer while exploring both traditional faculty roles and careers outside of the academy.

“This is an exciting time of growth for the university and a good time to contribute to the program's storied history,” he says. “Our alumni have been successful in finding roles both in and outside of academia. Our faculty encourages intellectual exploration during coursework, and I got the sense that the program was open to the possibility that you will arrive interested in one area but grow to love and want to work in another. The university also attracts talented undergraduate students, so when you reach the stage in the program where you teach—which is an invaluable experience—you have the benefit of teaching engaged students.”