Courses taught: Introduction to Philosophy, Ethics and Science, and Ethical Theory.

Pedro Brea's research explores how ontologies of becoming can change the way we think about concepts such as time, energy, ethics, identity, and history. His dissertation develops a genealogy of the concept of energy, from the Pre-Socratics to 19th century thermodynamics, inspired by Nietzsche's claim in the Genealogy of Morals that science is the newest and noblest form of the ascetic ideal. In this way, Pedro attempts to demonstrate the connection between Nietzsche's concept of 'ressentiment' and the historical development of the concept of energy. Furthermore, this project also draws especially on the works of Heidegger, Bergson, and Deleuze to demonstrate that energy concepts have historically been grounded in spatialized accounts of time--what Bergson referred to as the tendency to think the mobile in terms of the immobile. Pedro looks to the works of Bergson and Deleuze for the possibility of reconceptualizing energy beyond an ontology of essences.

The first trajectory of his research thus pursues a dialogue between European process philosophies with physics, with the aim of developing an account of temporality consistent with contemporary findings in the physical sciences.

The second trajectory pursues the connections between poststructural metaphysics and Latin American philosophy, particularly through the works of Édouard Glissant. Pedro hopes in the future to establish a dialogue between the works of Glissant with that of Bergson and Deleuze in order to critically interrogate the importance and dangers of metaphysical theorizing for the decolonial project, as well as how the way we conceptualize time affects our interpretation of the history of colonialism.

Peer-Reviewed Publications:

P.Brea. "Critique of the Concept of Energy in Light of Bergson's Philosophy of Duration." Thaumazein 12(1), 2024. Special issue: "Henri Bergson. Creative Evolution and Philosophy of Life."

(Upcoming) P.Brea. "The Cannibal's Antidote for Resentment: Diffracting Ressentiment Through Decolonial Thought." Research in Phenomenology 54, 2024 (Issue number to be determined).

(Upcoming) P. Brea. "Colonialism, Race, and the Concept of Energy." Southwest Philosophy Review 40(1), 2024.

P. Brea. "Archimedean Ethics." Texas Philosophical: Tenth Anniversary Edition, 2020.

Book Reviews:

P.Brea. Book Review of Contesting Extinctions: Decolonial and Regenerative Futures. Environmental Philosophy 19(2): 305-309, 2022.