John Corvino (ae9123)

Philosophy, Irvin D. Reid Honors College

2100 Adamany Undergraduate Library
5155 Gullen Mall
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI 48202

John Corvino, Ph.D., is Dean of the Irvin D. Reid Honors College and Professor of Philosophy at Wayne State University.

Corvino's research mainly focuses on controversial "culture war" issues surrounding sexuality and marriage. He is the author or co-author of three books from Oxford University Press: Debating Same-Sex Marriage (with Maggie Gallagher), What’s Wrong with Homosexuality?, and, most recently, Debating Religious Liberty and Discrimination, with Ryan T. Anderson and Sherif Girgis.

In addition to his books and scholarly articles, Corvino has contributed to The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Detroit Free Press, the Huffington Post, The New Republic, Slate, Commonweal, and other popular venues. He is the recipient of several teaching awards, including the Wayne State University President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and a 2012 Distinguished Professor of the Year Award from the Presidents Council of the State Universities of Michigan. In the last 25 years, he has spoken at over 250 campuses on issues of sexuality, ethics and marriage. His online videos have received over two million views.

Ethical theory, applied ethics, LGBT studies

My research focuses mostly on ethical questions in the "culture wars." For many years, I worked on moral arguments for same-sex marriage and moral defenses of same-sex relationships; more recently I have explored conflicts around religious liberty and discrimination. My current projects concern free speech, civility, and the ethics of public discourse. I also have interests in metaethics, and my dissertation was on the moral theory of the 18th Century Scottish philosopher David Hume.

• What debating gay marriage opponents taught me about the limits of free speech

• ResearchGate

(On sabbatical 2023-2024)

John Corvino is Dean of the Irvin D. Reid Honors College, having succeeded Founding Dean Jerry Herron in May 2018. He is also a Professor in the Wayne State Philosophy Department, which he joined in 1998 and where he served as Department Chair from 2012 to 2017.

Corvino holds a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin and a B.A. from St. John’s University, New York, whose own Honors Program he credits for a strong educational foundation. Much of his scholarly research focuses on controversial “culture war” issues regarding ethics, sexuality, and marriage. He is the author of numerous articles, as well as three books from Oxford University Press: Debating Same-Sex Marriage (with Maggie Gallagher, 2012), What’s Wrong with Homosexuality? (2013), and Debating Religious Liberty and Discrimination (with Ryan T. Anderson and Sherif Girgis, 2017).

An active “public philosopher,” Corvino has also written for The New York Times, the Detroit Free Press, The New Republic, Slate, Salon, Commonweal, and other popular venues, and he has appeared on CNN, ABC, FOX, MSNBC, CSPAN, and other TV and radio networks. His online videos have received over 2 million views.

Corvino is the recipient of several teaching awards, including a 2006 Wayne State University President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and a 2012 Distinguished Professor of the Year Award from the Presidents’ Council of the State Universities of Michigan. An engaging speaker, he has lectured at over 250 campuses around the globe. He lives with his husband in the City of Detroit.

2100 Adamany Undergraduate Library