Axel Seemann

Axel Seemann

  • Professor, Philosophy
  • Ph.D. London School of Economics
  • M.Sc. London School of Economics
  • M.A. Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität

Teaching Interests

Metaphysics and Epistemology; Philosophy of Mind; Social Philosophy

Research Interests

Philosophy of Mind; Social Philosophy; Philosophy of Language

Bio

Axel Seemann works in the philosophy of mind and is particularly interested in the mind's social dimension, on which he has written numerous articles and a monograph. More recently he has become interested in loneliness as a prominent social phenomenon of our time. He worked as a management consultant for the Boston Consulting Group and used to be a television journalist in Berlin.

Professional Memberships

  • Loneliness & Social Isolation in Mental Health 2019-01-01 - Present

    • Awards and Honors

  • Visiting Research Fellowship, King's College London
  • Conference Grant, National Science Foundation
  • Valente Research Fellowship, Valente Center for the Arts and Sciences
  • Visiting Research Fellowship, University of Hertfordshire
  • Research Grant, The Boston Consulting Group
  • Visiting Scholarship, UC Berkeley
  • Graduate Studentship, British Academy
  • Graduate Studentship, Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung

    • Scholarly Contributions and Creative Productions

    Journal Articles

  • Seemann, A. (2026). Joint Motor Action and Social Space. (In Progress)
  • Seemann, A. (2024). Joint Attention as the Foundation of Common Knowledge and Collective Intentionality. Topoi
  • Seemann, A. (2024). Joint Perception, Joint Attention, Joint Know-How. Philosophical Psychology, (38) 2050-2075.
  • Seemann, A. (2024). The public character of visual objects: shape perception, joint attention, and standpoint transcendence. Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences, (23) Issue 3 (Link)
  • Seemann, A. (2024). Joint perception, joint attention, joint know-how. Philosophical Psychology, (38) Issue (Link)
  • Seemann, A., Hughes, E., Roberts, T., Krueger, J. (2023). Introduction. Topoi, (42) 5
  • Seemann, A. (2023). Loneliness, Psychological Models, and Self-Estrangement. Topoi
  • Seemann, A. (2023). An Externalist Theory of Social Understanding: Interaction, Psychological Models, and the Frame Problem. Review of Philosophy and Psychology, (14) Issue 1 (Link)
  • Seemann, A. (2022). The Public Character of Visual Objects: Shape Perception, Joint Attention, and Standpoint-Transcendence. Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences
  • Seemann, A. (2022). The Psychological Structure of Loneliness. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, (19) 3 (Link)
  • Seemann, A. (2021). An Externalist Theory of Social Understanding: Interaction, Psychological Models, and the Frame Problem. Review of Philosophy and Psychology (Link)
  • Seemann, A. (2019). Reminiscing Together. Synthese, (196) 12 4813-4828.
  • Seemann, A. (2011). Joint Motor Action and Cross-Creature Embodiment. Review of Philosophy and Psychology, (2) 2 279-301.
  • Seemann, A. (2011). The Role of Joint Experience in Historical Narratives. Journal of the Philosophy of History, (5) 2 201-229.
  • Seemann, A. (2011). Joint Motor Action and Cross-Creature Embodiment. Review of Philosophy and Psychology, (2) Issue 2 (Link)
  • Seemann, A. (2010). The Other Person in Joint Attention: A Relational Approach. Journal of Consciousness Studies, (17) 6-May 161-182.
  • Seemann, A. (2010). The other person in joint attention: A relational approach1. Journal of Consciousness Studies, (17) Issue 5-6
  • Seemann, A. (2009). Why We Did It: An Anscombian Approach to Collective Action Explanation. International Journal of Philosophical Studies, (17) 5 637 - 655.
  • Seemann, A. (2009). Joint Agency: Intersubjectivity, Sense of Control, and the Feeling of Trust. Inquiry, (52) 2 500-515.
  • Seemann, A. (2008). Person Perception. Philosophical Explorations, (11) 3 245 - 262.
  • Seemann, A. (2007). Strategy: Rationality, Intuition, and Accountability. Philosophy of Management, (6) 1 123 - 134. (Link)
  • Seemann, A. (2007). Rational Trust: Interview with Onora O'Neill. Philosophy of Management, (6) 2 8-Mar.
  • Seemann, A. (2007). Collective Knowledge and the 'We'-Perspective. Social Epistemology, (21) 3 217 - 230. (Link)
  • Seemann, A. (2004). Lifeworld, Discourse, and Realism: on Juergen Habermas's theory of truth. Philosophy and Social Criticism, (30) 4 503 - 514.

    • Books

  • Seemann, A. (2019). The Shared World: Perceptual Common Knowledge, Demonstrative Communication, and Social Space MIT Press (Link)
  • Seemann, A. (2012). Joint Attention: New Developments in Psychology, Philosophy of Mind, and Social Neuroscience 350. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press

    • Book Chapters

  • Seemann, A. (2023). Eine Modelltheoretische Erkl√§rung der Einsamkeit [A Model-Theoretic Account of Loneliness] Einsamkeit in Gesellschaft. Transcript Verlag
  • Seemann, A. (2013). Joint Attention and Social Cognition Encyclopedia of Philosophy and the Social Sciences. London: Sage
  • Seemann, A. (2012). Joint Attention: Towards a Relational Account Joint Attention: New Developments. Cambridge MA: MIT Press
  • Seemann, A. (2011). The Evaluative Dimension of Self-Awareness Self-Evaluation: Affective and Social Grounds of Intentionality. Frankfurt: Ontos
  • Frederick, R. E., Seemann, A. (2008). Rationality Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications

    • Digital and Electronic Media, Social Media, Blogs, Podcasts

  • Seemann, A. 2025. "Loneliness and You"

    • Other Scholarly Work

  • Krueger, J. (2023). Special Journal Issue. , (Topoi) .
  • Seemann, A. (2019). Axel Seemann: The Shared World. New Books Network .
  • Seemann, A. (2019). The Shared World. The Brains Blog .
  • Frederick, B. (2016). Rationality. .

    • Presentations

  • Seemann, A. (2025). “Joint Reminiscing”
  • Seemann, A. (2024). “The Epistemology of Loneliness” Presented at the Tufts University Departmental Colloquium
  • Seemann, A. (2023). “Joint Know-How and Its Perceptual Base” Presented at the University of Antwerp Group Knowledge and Joint Expertise Antwerp, Belgium
  • Seemann, A. (2023). “Loneliness and the Self” Presented at the University of York Graduate Seminar York, UK
  • Seemann, A. (2022). “The Psychological Structure of Loneliness” Presented at the XVI Congress of the Portuguese Society of Psychiatry Lisbon, Portugal
  • Seemann, A. (2022). “Loneliness and Social Space” Presented at the University of York Graduate Seminar on Loneliness
  • Seemann, A. (2021). “An Externalist Account of Perceptual Common Knowledge” Presented at the University College London Common Knowledge at 40
  • Seemann, A. (2021). “Loneliness and the Social Environment” Presented at the Bentley University Loneliness in Philosophy and Psychology Online
  • Seemann, A. (2021). “An Externalist Solution to the Problem of Common Knowledge” Presented at the University College London Common Knowledge, Common Ground, and Context in Communication London UK
  • Seemann, A. (2020). “What Do We Mean By "Loneliness"?” Presented at the University College London Meeting of the "Loneliness and Isolation in Mental Health Network" London UK
  • Seemann, A. (2018). “Joint Perception, Social Space, and the Limits of the Self” Presented at the "Open Self" Conference Technical University of Berlin
  • Seemann, A. (2016). “Joint Experience, Demonstrative Reference, and Spatial Perception” Presented at the University of London ICOG 3 London, UK

    • Service

    Service: Department

  • Committee Chair for TT Search Committee 2024-10-01 - Present
  • Committee Chair for Lecturer Search Committee 2023-01-01 - 2024-12-31
  • Committee Chair for Lecturer Search Committee 2021-01-01 - Present
  • for Major Advisor 2021-01-01 - Present
  • Committee Member for Sabbatical Committee 2020-09-01 - Present
  • Committee Chair for TT Search Committee 2021-01-01 - 2022-12-31
  • Champion! for Assurance of Learning 2017-09-01 - 2018-04-30
  • Assurance of Learning Champion for Bentley University 2016-10-01 - 2019-12-31
  • for Major/Minor Advisor 2016-01-01 - 2017-12-31
  • Interim Department Chair for Bentley University 2016-07-01 - 2016-12-31
  • for LSM Advisor 2014-09-01 - 2019-12-31

    • Service: Public

  • Guest Speaker for Experience By Design 2020-01-01 - 2020-12-31

    • Service: Professional

  • Chairperson for Valente Research Seminar 2022-01-01 - Present
  • Committee Member for Conference Organisation Committee 2021-01-01 - Present
  • Conference/Workshop Organizer for Conference Organisation 2021-07-01 - 2021-07-31
  • for Conference Organisation Committee 2020-01-01 - 2021-12-31

    • Service: Ph.D. Advising

  • Committee Member 2017/01 - 2019/02
  • Committee Member 2011/04 - 2013/01
  • Committee Member 2009/04 - 2012/01

    • Service: University

  • Committee Chair for Joint Chairs 2024-07-01 - Present
  • Committee Chair for Research Council, Bentley Website Research Portal 2023-01-01 - 2024-12-31
  • Conference/Workshop Organizer for Valente Humanities Seminar 2022-09-01 - 2023-05-31
  • Committee Member for Research Council 2022-01-01 - Present
  • Committee Member for PhD Council 2020-09-01 - Present
  • Department Chair for Philosophy Department 2020-07-01 - Present
  • Committee Member for Sabbatical Committee 2019-01-01 - Present
  • for PhD Council Committee: Academic Standards 2019-01-01 - 2019-05-31
  • for PhD Council 2018-09-01 - 2019-05-31
  • for Salary&Benefits 2017-09-01 - 2019-05-31
  • Member for University Senate 2017-09-01 - 2019-05-31
  • Committee Member for Academic Standards - 2015-12-31
  • Task Force Member for Honors Programme 2011-09-01 - 2011-12-31
  • for Advisory Board, Valente Center 2007-01-01 - 2011-12-31