Person
BRUNI Domenica
Professoressa associata
Course Catalogue:
Communications
Agenda
Attachment (CV)
CV Buni_ENGL maggio 26.pdf (CV Domenica Bruni)
Description
Scientific and Teaching Curriculum Vitae of Domenica Bruni
Name: Domenica Bruni
Date of Birth: 08/02/1979
Nationality: Italian
E-mail: dbruni@unime.it
Residence: Piazza della Rivoluzione 17, 90133 Palermo (PA), Italy
Telephone: +39 320 4737473
Affiliation: Department of Ancient and Modern Civilizations, University of Messina, Viale Giovanni Palatucci 13, 98168 Messina, Italy.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7974-8318
Scopus ID: 56019128200
Web of Science Researcher ID: OZE-4089-2025
MAIN RESEARCH AREAS
Philosophy of language, pragmatics, cognitive science, evolutionary psychology.
CURRENT POSITION
Associate Professor of Philosophy and Theory of Language, Academic Recruitment Field 11/C4, SSD M-FIL/05 (new denomination: 11/PHIL-04, SSD PHIL-04/B), from 16 May 2021 to the present.
Member of the Experimental Philosophy Laboratory, Department of Ancient and Modern Civilizations, University of Messina, from 2023 to the present.
ACADEMIC AFFILIATIONS
Department of Ancient and Modern Civilizations (DICAM), University of Messina (from 2019 to the present).
Department of Cognitive, Psychological, Pedagogical and Cultural Studies (COSPECS), University of Messina (from 2007 to 2018).
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
From 16 May 2018 to 16 May 2021 – Researcher in Philosophy and Theory of Language (RTD-B, SSD M-FIL/05, pursuant to Art. 24, paragraph 3, letter B).
From 18 March 2014 to 15 May 2018 – Researcher in Philosophy and Theory of Language (RTD-A, SSD M-FIL/05, pursuant to Art. 24, paragraph 3, letter A).
National Scientific Qualification for Full Professorship in Academic Recruitment Field 11/C4 – Aesthetics and Philosophy of Language, SSD M-FIL/05 (2018 session; valid from 04/06/2021 to 04/06/2032).
National Scientific Qualification for Associate Professorship in Academic Recruitment Field 11/C4 – Aesthetics and Philosophy of Language, SSD M-FIL/05 (2016 session; valid from 30/03/2018 to 30/03/2024).
National Scientific Qualification for Associate Professorship in Academic Recruitment Field 11/C4 – Aesthetics and Philosophy of Language, SSD M-FIL/05 (2013 session; valid from 17/10/2014 to 17/10/2020).
2010 – PhD in Cognitive Science (with scholarship), XXII cycle, University of Messina (academic years 2007–2009), with a dissertation entitled La forza della natura. Le radici evolutive del sesso e dell’innamoramento, supervised by Prof. Francesco Ferretti (Roma Tre University).
2006 – Advanced Training Course in “Animators of Cultural Tourism Heritage in the Isthmus Area”, Faculty of Economics, University of Calabria, organized in collaboration with the School of Management for Business and Public Administration.
2005 – Professional Training Course in “Methods and Tools for Network Administrative Management”, taught by Prof. Giuseppe Traversa (University of Pisa), University of Calabria, Degree Programme in Philosophy and Communication Sciences.
2004 – Laurea in Philosophy (old Italian system equivalent to MA degree), University of Calabria, awarded with honours (110/110 cum laude). Dissertation in Philosophy of Language entitled Comprendere il linguaggio. Per uno studio cognitivo della semantica, supervised by Prof. Daniele Gambarara and Prof. Francesco Ferretti.
EDUCATION
Periods of Study Abroad
2016 – Visiting Researcher, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen (October–November 2016); tutor: Prof. W.F.G. (Pim) Haselager.
March 2015 – Visiting Researcher, Department of Philosophy, New York University.
2012 – Visiting Researcher, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University
Nijmegen (April–May 2012); tutor: Prof. W.F.G. (Pim) Haselager.
2009 – Oxford University (UK), bibliographical research at the Bodleian Library.
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
Organization, Direction, and Coordination of National Research Groups
Principal Investigator of a Type B Research Grant (SSD M-FIL/05) at the Department of DICAM, University of Messina, for the project “Individual, Environment, Art: An Ecological Approach to the Learning of Artistic Forms”, within the FISR project “La rifunzionalizzazione del contemporaneo” (January 2021 – January 2022).
President of the Palermo Section of the Italian Philosophical Society (SFI) (from January 2026 to the present).
Vice President of the Palermo Section of the Italian Philosophical Society (SFI) (from April 2019 to December 2025).
Participation in National and International Research Groups
-Since 2023 – Member of the Experimental Philosophy Laboratory, Department of Ancient and Modern Civilizations, University of Messina.
-Since 2020 – Member of the CIRM – Inter-University Centre for Metaphor Research.
-Member of the PRIN PNRR 2022 research project “Metaphor and Epistemic Injustice in Mental Illness: the Case of Schizophrenia”, local unit of the University of Messina.
-Member of the PRIN research project (2007–2009) “Philosophy and Naturalization of the Mind: New Perspectives on Knowledge and Human Nature”, local unit of the University of Messina.
-Member of the PRA research project (2006–2007), directed by Prof. Pietro Perconti, “The Naturalization of Self-Knowledge”.
-Member of the PRA research project (2008–2009), directed by Prof. Pietro Perconti, “Cognitive Science and Its Impact on Folk Knowledge”.
SCIENTIFIC COORDINATION AND INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS
Scientific Coordinator of the Visiting Researcher Programme of Prof. Gerard Steen (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), Department of DICAM, University of Messina, 2026.
SCIENTIFIC AFFILIATIONS
Member of XPRAG.it – An Italian Network of Experimental Pragmatics.
Member of the International Center for Consciousness Studies (ICCS).
Member of the Italian Society for the Philosophy of Language.
Member of the Italian Society for Analytic Philosophy.
Member of the Italian Association for Cognitive Science.
Member of CODISCO – National Coordination of PhD Programmes in Cognitive Science.
AWARDS AND RESEARCH FUNDING
Recipient of the “University Basic Research Funding” (FFABR Unime), 2022.
Recipient of the “University Basic Research Funding” (FFABR Unime), second edition, 2020.
Recipient of the Faculty Merit Award, 2018.
Recipient of the “Basic Research Activities Fund” (FFABR), 2017.
EDITORIAL ACTIVITIES, SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEES, AND ACADEMIC SERVICE
-Member of the Cyclical Review Committee for the Degree Programme in Cognitive Science (LM55), Department of COSPECS, and for the Degree Programme in Philosophy (L5), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
-Member of the Quality Assurance Committee for the Master’s Degree Programme in Philosophy (LM78), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
-Member of the Quality Assurance Committee for the Degree Programme in Cognitive Science (LM55) and the Master’s Degree Programme in Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience (LM51), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
-Member of the regional selection committee for the XXXII edition of the Philosophy Olympiad, 16 February 2024.
-Member of the regional selection committee for the XXXI edition of the Philosophy Olympiad, 16 March 2023.
-Member of the regional selection committee for the XXVII edition of the Philosophy Olympiad, 21 March 2019.
-Member of the Scientific Committee of the series La mente e i sistemi cognitivi. Collana di Scienze cognitive, filosofia e tecnologia, Aracne Editrice, Rome.
-Member of the Editorial Board of Reti, saperi e linguaggi. Italian Journal of Cognitive Sciences, Il Mulino, Bologna (2014–2023).
-Member of the Editorial Board of Edas Edizioni, Messina.
Member of the Scientific Committee of the interdisciplinary journal Testo e Senso, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”.
-Member of the Scientific Committee of the journal Animot. L’altra filosofia, Graphe.it Edizioni (since 2014).
-Honorary Member of the open-source digital platform Scuola di Terza Generazione.
Member of the Scientific Committee of the annual conference of the Italian Association for Cognitive Science (AISC).
-Member of the Editorial Board of Corisco Edizioni.
-Member of the Editorial Board of Reti, saperi e linguaggi, journal of the Department of Cognitive Sciences, Education and Cultural Studies, University of Messina [ISSN 2279-7777].
-Member of the Editorial Board of the blog Gallinae in Fabula. Animalismo e antispecismo [ISSN 2283-9488].
-Contributor (2017) to L’indice dei libri del mese, monthly cultural review magazine.
-Contributor (2012) to the cultural pages of Lettera Internazionale, Italian edition – European quarterly journal of culture.
-Former member of the Editorial Board of Asinus Novus, journal of Anti-speciesism and Philosophy [ISSN 2240-7367].
-Former member of the Editorial Board of Animal Studies. Rivista italiana di antispecismo, Novalogos.
-Invited contributor (since 2012) to Rai Filosofia, a joint project of Rai Educational and Rai Scuola.
-Administrator and Manager of the official Facebook page of the University of Messina.
-Administrator and Manager of the official Facebook page of the Department of Cognitive Sciences (COSPECS), University of Messina.
REFEREEING ACTIVITY
Referee for Frontiers (since 2020).
Referee for Rivista K (since 2019).
Referee for Rivista Italiana di Filosofia del Linguaggio (RIFL) (since 2015).
Referee for Rivista Internazionale di Filosofia e Psicologia (RIFP), Mimesis, Turin (since 2015).
Referee for Isonomia (University of Urbino) (since 2013).
Referee for APhEx (Analytical and Philosophical Explanation) (since 2012).
Referee for Reti, saperi, linguaggi. Rivista del Dipartimento di Scienze Cognitive, della Formazione e degli Studi culturali dell’Università di Messina (since 2012).
Referee for the Italian Association for Cognitive Science (AISC) (since 2012).
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
University Teaching
Academic Year 2025–2026
Philosophy of Language, MA Programme in Contemporary Philosophy (LM78), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy of Language, BA Programme in Philosophy (L5), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy of Language, BA Programme in Information Sciences: Journalism Techniques and Social Media (L20), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Academic Year 2024–2025
Philosophy of Language, MA Programme in Contemporary Philosophy (LM78), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy of Language, BA Programme in Philosophy (L5), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy of Language, BA Programme in Information Sciences: Journalism Techniques and Social Media (L20), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Academic Year 2023–2024
Philosophy of Language, MA Programme in Contemporary Philosophy (LM78), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy of Language, BA Programme in Philosophy (L5), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy of Language, BA Programme in Information Sciences: Journalism Techniques and Social Media (L20), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Academic Year 2022–2023
Philosophy of Language, MA Programme in Contemporary Philosophy (LM78), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy of Language, BA Programme in Philosophy (L5), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy of Language, BA Programme in Information Sciences: Journalism Techniques and Social Media (L20), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy of Mind, BA Programme in Psychological Sciences and Techniques (L24), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina, Noto campus (Siracusa).
Philosophy of Mind, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina, Noto campus (Siracusa).
Academic Year 2021–2022
Philosophy of Language, MA Programme in Contemporary Philosophy (LM78), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy of Language, BA Programme in Philosophy (L5), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, MA Programme in Pedagogical Sciences (LM51), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina, Noto campus (Siracusa).
Academic Year 2020–2021
Theory of Language, MA Programme in Italian Language and Culture for Foreigners (LM739), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy of Language, MA Programme in Contemporary Philosophy (LM78), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy of Language, BA Programme in Philosophy (L5), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, MA Programme in Cognitive Science and Communication Theory (LM55/92) and MA Programme in Pedagogical Sciences (LM51), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Academic Year 2019–2020
Theory of Language, MA Programme in Italian Language and Culture for Foreigners (LM739), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Evolutionary Psychology, BA Programme in Psychological Sciences and Techniques (L24), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, MA Programme in Cognitive Science and Communication Theory (LM55/92), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, MA Programme in Pedagogical Sciences (LM51), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Academic Year 2018–2019
Evolutionary Psychology, BA Programme in Psychological Sciences and Techniques (L24), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, MA Programme in Cognitive Science (LM55), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Philosophy of Mind, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), CUMO, Noto campus.
Evolutionary Psychology, BA Programme in Psychological Sciences and Techniques (L24), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina, Noto campus.
Academic Year 2017–2018
Philosophy of Mind, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), CUMO, Noto campus.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology (Cognitive Science Seminar Laboratories), MA Programme in Cognitive Science (LM55), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, MA Programme in Cognitive Science (LM55), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Academic Year 2016–2017
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology (Cognitive Science Seminar Laboratories), MA Programme in Cognitive Science (LM55), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Biolinguistics (Cognitive Science Seminar Laboratories), MA Programme in Cognitive Science (LM55), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), CUMO, Noto campus.
Philosophy of Mind, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), CUMO, Noto campus.
Academic Year 2015–2016
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology (Cognitive Science Seminar Laboratories), MA Programme in Cognitive Science (LM55), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), CUMO, Noto campus.
Philosophy of Mind, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), CUMO, Noto campus.
Academic Year 2014–2015
Philosophy of Mind, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), CUMO, Noto campus.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), CUMO, Noto campus.
Evolutionary Psychopathology, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), CUMO, Noto campus.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology (Cognitive Science Seminar Laboratories), MA Programme in Cognitive Science (LM55), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Academic Year 2013–2014
Philosophy of Mind, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), CUMO, Noto campus.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), CUMO, Noto campus.
Evolutionary Psychopathology, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), CUMO, Noto campus.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Evolutionary Psycholinguistics (Cognitive Science Seminar Laboratories), MA Programme in Cognitive Science (LM55), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Academic Year 2012–2013
Adjunct Lecturer in Evolutionary Psycholinguistics, Master’s Degree Programme in Cognitive Science, Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Adjunct Lecturer in Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, Bachelor’s Degree Programme (L20), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Adjunct Lecturer in Evolutionary Psychopathology, Bachelor’s Degree Programme (L20), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina, Noto campus (Siracusa).
Adjunct Lecturer in Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, Bachelor’s Degree Programme (L20), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina, Noto campus (Siracusa).
Academic Year 2011–2012
Adjunct Lecturer in Evolutionary Psychopathology, Master’s Degree Programme in Cognitive Science, Faculty of Education, University of Messina.
Adjunct Lecturer in Evolutionary Psychopathology, Bachelor’s Degree Programme, Faculty of Education, University of Messina, Noto campus (Siracusa).
Academic Year 2010–2011
Adjunct Lecturer in Evolutionary Psycholinguistics, Master’s Degree Programme in Cognitive Science, Faculty of Education, University of Messina.
Adjunct Lecturer in Evolutionary Psycholinguistics, Bachelor’s Degree Programme, Faculty of Education, University of Messina, Noto campus (Siracusa).
Other Teaching Activities
From 2007 to 2017 – Teaching collaboration in the courses of Philosophy of Mind and Theory of Language, Faculty of Education, University of Messina (Prof. Pietro Perconti).
From 2007 to 2010 – Teaching collaboration in the course of Philosophy of Language, Faculty of Education, University of Messina (Prof. Antonino Pennisi).
September 2023 – Lecturer in Cognitive Processes of Communication (M-FIL/05) within the First-Level Master’s Programme in Digital Communication for Public Administration and Business, University of Messina.
April 2021 – Lecturer in Cognitive Processes of Communication (M-FIL/05) within the First-Level Master’s Programme in Digital Communication for Public Administration and Business, University of Messina.
February 2020 – Lecturer in Cognitive Processes of Communication (M-FIL/05) within the First-Level Master’s Programme in Social Media Management, University of Messina.
From September 2018 to February 2023 – Lecturer at I.T.F. RC-ME, Institute of Family Therapy of Reggio Calabria and Messina.
5 April 2014 – What We Know About the Mind: Evolutionary Psychology and Its Ambitions, training seminar within the specialization course in Systemic-Relational Psychotherapy, Centro Eidos, Treviso.
20–22 September 2012 – Lecture at the School of Philosophy and History of Biology and Medicine, Nettuno: The Body of Pleasure (SISSA Trieste; Italian Society for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Medicine and Biology), Fortezza San Gallo, Nettuno.
ACADEMIC AND INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Since May 2024 – Member of the Board of Lecturers of the PhD Programme in Cognitive Science, University of Messina.
From 2015 to June 2023 – Member of the Board of Lecturers of the PhD Programme in Cognitive Science, University of Messina.
From 2011 to 2013 – Member of the Board of Lecturers of the PhD Programme in Cognitive Science, University of Messina.
Since December 2019 – Coordinator of tutoring and orientation activities within the POT “Prometheus” project for the Degree Programme in Psychological Sciences and Techniques (L24).
Since October 2019 – Delegate for orientation and tutoring for the Master’s Degree Programme in Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience (LM51).
Since 2010 – Tutor for the Master’s Degree Programme in Cognitive Science, University of Messina.
Since 2009 – Member, as subject expert, of the examination board in Neuroscience, Faculty of Education, University of Messina.
Since 2008 – Member, as subject expert, of the examination board in Theories and Techniques of Brain Imaging, Faculty of Education, University of Messina.
Since 2007 – Member, as subject expert, of the examination boards in Philosophy of Mind, Cognitive Processes of Communication, and Philosophy of Language, Faculty of Education, University of Messina.
From 2006 to 2009 – Tutor for Language Science laboratories (SSD M-FIL/05), Faculty of Education, University of Messina.
ORGANIZATION OF CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS, AND SCIENTIFIC EVENTS
Member of the Organising Committee of The Question of Consciousness: What Are We Talking About?, Salina, 19–21 September 2025.
Member of the Organising Committee of Pragmasophia 4 – International Conference on Pragmatics and Philosophy, Messina, 11–14 June 2024.
Member of the Organising Committee of The Science of Consciousness 2023, Taormina, 22–28 May 2023.
Member of the Scientific Committee (philosophical consultancy) of the VII Festival delle Filosofie, Artificial Intelligence, Palermo–Messina–Cefalù–Isnello, 9–30 November 2024.
Member of the Scientific Committee of the VI Festival delle Filosofie, On Democracy, Palermo–Catania–Messina–Cefalù–Isnello, 4–26 November 2023.
Member of the Scientific Committee of the V Festival delle Filosofie, Justice: Violence, Rights and Community, Palermo, 8–31 October 2022.
Organizer of Do You Like Wittgenstein?, World Philosophy Day, Italian Philosophical Society (SFI), Palermo Section, Palermo, 19 November 2021.
Member of the Scientific Committee of the seminar series Pluralismi. Riflessioni su corpi, politiche e rappresentazioni di genere, Department of COSPECS, University of Messina (2022–2026).
Chair of the thematic section Philosophy of Sexuality at the 25th World Congress of Philosophy, Philosophy across Boundaries, Rome, 1–8 August 2024.
Member of the Scientific Committee of the XVII AISC Annual Conference 2021, Palazzo Giavanti, CUMO, Noto, December 2021.
Member of the Organising Committee of the International Conference Pragmasofia, Palazzo Giavanti, CUMO, Noto, 13–16 July 2021.
Member of the Scientific Committee of the XIV National Conference of the Italian Society for Analytic Philosophy (SIFA), Palazzo Giavanti, CUMO, Noto, 22–24 September 2021.
Co-curator (with Paola Di Mauro) of the screening of the film Sulla mia pelle. Gli ultimi sette giorni di Stefano Cucchi, Department of COSPECS, University of Messina, 20 November 2018.
Member of the Scientific Committee of the conference Mondo e soggetto. Sviluppo e/o decostruzione dei fondamenti filosofici, University of Messina, 19–20 March 2018.
Member of the Organising Committee of the Mid-Term Conference of the Italian Association for Cognitive Science (AISC 2017), University of Messina, 8–10 June 2017.
Organizer of the symposium Male parole, in collaboration with the Italian Society for the Philosophy of Language, University of Messina, 9 June 2017.
Organizer of the seminar series Filosofia e cognizione for the PhD Programme in Cognitive Science, University of Messina, academic year 2016–2017.
Organizer of the meetings with Francesco Bianchini (University of Bologna): Turing: la mente dalle macchine alla biologia and Coscienza, intelligenza e sistemi in Dennett e Hofstadter, CUMO, Noto campus, 1–2 March 2017.
Organizer of the lecture by Leonardo Caffo (University of Turin), Il postumano contemporaneo come speciazione, University of Messina, 1 June 2016.
Member of the Organising Committee of the Mid-Term Conference of the Italian Association for Cognitive Science (AISC 2015), Palermo, 21–22 May 2015.
Member of the Organising Committee of the European Society for Philosophy and Psychology (ESPP), Noto (Siracusa), 16–19 September 2014.
Collaboration in the scientific organisation of CODISCO (National Coordination of PhD Programmes in Cognitive Science), 2007–2011.
Scientific organisation of the workshop Etologia e scienza cognitiva with Enrico Alleva and Simone Macrì (Italian National Institute of Health, Department of Neuroscience), University of Messina, 30 September 2011.
Scientific organisation of the meeting Scuola e lingua with Edoardo Martinelli, student of Don Lorenzo Milani, University of Messina, 10 May 2011.
Scientific organisation of the seminar series delivered at the University of Messina by Prof. Ignazio Licata, Scientific Director of ISEM (Institute for Scientific Methodology):
More Is Simplest: la teoria dell’emergenza, del tutto e di ogni cosa, 24 January 2011.
Terza cultura o giusta distanza? Scienza, racconti della scienza e società, 25 January 2011.
Scientific organisation of the conference La natura della coscienza, University of Messina, 15–17 September 2010.
Collaboration in the scientific organisation of the lectures delivered by Prof. John R. Searle (University of California, Berkeley), 20–22 May 2010.
Collaboration in the scientific organisation of the lecture series delivered at the University of Messina by Prof. Vittorio Gallese (University of Parma):
Le basi neurofisiologiche della intersoggettività, 19–20 January 2009.
Neuroni specchio, intersoggettività e senso di sé, 15–17 March 2010.
Organisation of the presentation of Armando Massarenti’s book Il filosofo tascabile, Faculty of Education, University of Messina, 22 March 2010.
Scientific organisation of the workshop delivered by Prof. Douglas Hofstadter (Indiana University), University of Messina, 11–12 June 2009.
Collaboration in the scientific organisation of the lecture series delivered by Prof. Ned Block (New York University), February 2008.
INVITED TALKS, CONFERENCES, AND PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS
28 February 2026 – Quando il desiderio perde il corpo: attrazione e compagni artificiali, International Conference Do Also Humans Dream of Electric Sheep? Tecnoscientific, Cultural and Cognitive Challenges of AI, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”.
17 May 2026 – Tra lingua viva e pagine in movimento, Maggio dei Libri 2026, University of Messina.
12 April 2025 – Round table: Artificial Intelligence between Neuroscience, Philosophy and Society (with Pietro Perconti, Raffaella Rumiati, Antonio Chella), Festa di Scienza e Filosofia 2025, Foligno (Perugia).
20 December 2024 – L’amore tra natura e cultura, Isnello (Palermo).
21 September 2024 – Corpo, amore e sessualità, Italian Institute of Group Psychoanalysis (IIPG), Palermo Section.
7 August 2024 – Coordination of the panel FROM EROS TO SEX ROBOTS: EXPLORING THE MORAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL CHALLENGES OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS, with Andrea Lavazza, Pietro Perconti, Antonio Chella, and Raffaella Rumiati, 25th World Congress of Philosophy Philosophy across Boundaries, Sapienza University of Rome.
1–8 August 2024 – Coordination of the thematic section Philosophy of Sexuality, 25th World Congress of Philosophy Philosophy across Boundaries, Sapienza University of Rome.
27–29 June 2024 – Poster presentation: Virtual Insanity. Natural and Digital Forms of Sexual Attraction, First ICCS Conference Uncovering the Magic of Consciousness, Santa Maria della Scala, Siena.
3–5 June 2024 – Poster presentation (with L. Ieni and A. Re): Art and Virtual Reality: An Exploratory Study, conference From 4E to 5E Cognition: About Emotions, University of Catania.
23 September 2022 – Differenze di genere nello storytelling, XXVII Conference of the Italian Society for the Philosophy of Language, Botanical Garden, Palermo.
31 October 2021 – Curami. Bene comune, individui e vita sociale, with Massimo Castiglia and Pierpaolo Zampieri, Festival delle Filosofie, Palermo.
5 February 2021 – La natura dell’amore, week promoted by the student community, Galileo Galilei Scientific High School, Palermo.
26 November 2020 – L’amore: una questione di vincoli (naturali), S.I.BIL meeting, Department of Philosophy, Communication and Performing Arts, Roma Tre University.
31 October 2020 – Animali, ambienti, filosofie, with Felice Cimatti and Pietro Perconti. Moderated by Marco Carapezza, Festival delle Filosofie Ecosofie, Palazzo Steri, Palermo.
18 March 2020 – L’amore: una questione (parzialmente) naturale, Department of Humanities – PhD Programme in Humanities, University of Palermo.
12 February 2020 – Galápagos, Darwin Day 2020, Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
19 December 2019 – Round table: Per una pedagogia del viaggio, Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
22 November 2019 – Invited lecture: L’attrazione sessuale, National Congress G.C. ORL, Salerno.
14 December 2018 – Sistemi cognitivi e prassi emotiva, conference Conoscere è fare. Fare è conoscere. Da Vico a Fourier, Marx, Maturana, San Marco d’Alunzio, Messina.
20 October 2018 – The Night of Philosophy, with Edoardo Lombardi Vallauri, Gloria Origgi, Francesca Piazza, Andrea Le Moli, Chiara Bottici, and Vanessa Place, Fondazione The Brass Group, Ridotto dello Spasimo, Palermo.
14 February 2018 – Invited lecture: La scienza dell’innamoramento, introduced by Fabio Pagan, Teatro Miela, Trieste.
16 February 2017 – Presentation of the book Mio servo, mio padrone. Legami perversi di coppia e psicoterapia (with S. Iacone), Naples.
12 February 2016 – Presentation of the book Il ritmo della mente. La musica tra scienza cognitiva e psicoterapia (with S. Iacone, M. Della Rocca, C. Morabito and G. Ruggiero), Palazzo Zapata, Piazza Trieste e Trento, Naples.
27 November 2015 – Le menti degli altri. Modelli di mente animale, Sapienza University of Rome.
15 April 2015 – Il peso delle narrazioni nella costruzione del consenso politico, conference Building Consensus. Rhetoric between Democracy and Conflict, Botanical Garden, Palermo.
9 May 2015 – II National Conference of IMePS (Institute of Systemic Medicine and Psychology), Menti che si incontrano. Psicoterapia sistemica e scienze della mente a confronto, Naples.
12 June 2014 – L’ontologia sociale dell’amore, LabOnt Seminar, Department of Philosophy and Educational Sciences, University of Turin.
5 April 2014 – Cosa sappiamo della mente. La psicologia evoluzionista e le sue ambizioni, training seminar within the specialization course in Systemic-Relational Psychotherapy, Centro Eidos, Treviso.
25 October 2013 – Darwin in Love. Una storia naturale dell’amore, conference Psicologia evoluzionistica e dipendenze patologiche, organized by the Order of Psychologists of Campania, Convitto Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele, Naples.
27 June 2013 – Like me? Mente e diritti negli altri animali. Presentation of the second issue of Animal Studies. Rivista italiana di antispecismo with Pietro Perconti and Pietro Saitta, Teatro Pinelli, Messina.
17 June 2013 – Politici sfigurati. Comunicazione politica e scienza cognitiva, AISC Mid-Term Conference Cognitive Sciences: Applications and Socio-Economic Value, Faculty of Economics, Messina.
12–14 December 2012 – Le emozioni come adattamenti, conference Mente darwiniana e addiction. Neuroscienze, evoluzionismo e psicoterapia, Milan.
20–22 September 2012 – Il corpo del piacere, School of Philosophy and History of Biology and Medicine, Nettuno.
15 June 2012 – Linguaggio verbale e inconscio politico, conference La forza delle parole, University of Calabria.
10 May 2012 – La scienza dell’amore e i suoi limiti, Department of Philosophy, Roma Tre University.
16 March 2012 – Love in Question, seminar at the Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of Messina.
20 January 2012 – Politici sfigurati. Comunicazione politica e scienza cognitiva, presentation seminar, University of Messina.
15 October 2011 – Naturalizzare l’amore, seminar within the conference Scienze cognitive e natura umana, Palermo.
30 September 2011 – Etologia e scienza cognitiva, workshop with Enrico Alleva and Simone Macrì, University of Messina.
18 March 2011 – La psicologia evoluzionistica delle emozioni, seminar, University of Messina.
15 September 2010 – La forza della natura. Le radici evolutive del sesso e dell’innamoramento, conference La natura della coscienza, University of Messina.
7 July 2010 – I limiti della psicologia evoluzionista. Il caso dell’attrazione sessuale, III CODISCO Conference Natura, comunicazione, neurofilosofie, Rome.
18–20 November 2009 – Differenze di genere e matematica? (with M. Graziano), II CODISCO Conference Mente, linguaggio e società, University of Messina.
11–12 June 2009 – Participation in the workshop led by Douglas Hofstadter, University of Messina.
20 March 2009 – Naturalizzare la religione, seminar in Philosophy and Cognitive Science, University of Messina.
15 January 2009 – L’origine della produzione vocale (with M. Primo and V. De La Cruz), CODISCO Conference I linguaggi delle scienze cognitive, Rome.
12 December 2008 – Comunicazione politica: rituali, simboli e frames, seminar in Political Communication and Cognitive Science, University of Messina.
22 May 2008 – Ho scelto te, seminar in Philosophy of Emotions and Human Relationships, University of Messina.
15 April 2008 – Comprendere il linguaggio. Per uno studio cognitivo della semantica, seminar in Philosophy of Language, University of Calabria.
PUBLICATIONS
Monographs
Pragmatica. Una cassetta degli attrezzi, Cesati Editore, Florence, 2026.
Psicologia evoluzionistica. Dal cervello del Pleistocene alla mente moderna, Carocci, Rome, 2017.
Politici sfigurati. Comunicazione politica e scienza cognitiva, Mimesis, Milan, 2012.
Storia naturale dell’amore, Carocci, Rome, 2010.
Edited Volumes
L’esperienza dell’ascolto: dalla natura alla cultura (with F. Esposito), in De Musica, XXVII(2), 2023.
Pluralismi. Corpi, politiche e rappresentazioni di genere (with A. Cava, M. Meo, A. Penna), Mimesis, Milan, 2023.
“Stereotypes” (with F. Bianchini), Reti, saperi, linguaggi. Italian Journal of Cognitive Sciences, Il Mulino, no. 2, 2017.
Brevi cogitazioni (with A. Velardi), Corisco Edizioni, Rome–Messina, 2016.
Amor, ch’a nullo amato… amar bestiale (with M. Ferraguti), Animot. L’altra filosofia, Graphe.it Edizioni, no. 5, 2016.
Il ritmo della mente. La musica tra scienza cognitiva e psicoterapia (with G. Ruggiero), Mimesis, Milan, 2015.
Il futuro prossimo della scienza cognitiva (with M. Carapezza, M. Cruciani, G. Lo Bosco, A. Plebe, P. Perconti, M.E. Tabacchi), NeaScience, Year 2, Vol. 7, 2015.
New Perspectives for the Philosophy of Cognitive Science (with L. Caffo), Méthode – Analytic Perspectives, 2/2013.
Like me? Mente e diritti negli animali non umani, Animal Studies. Rivista italiana di antispecismo, Novalogos, no. 2, 2013.
Scienza cognitiva incarnata e modelli evoluzionistici (with E. Fugali), Reti, saperi, linguaggi, Corisco, Rome, 2012.
Mente, linguaggio e società. Atti del II Convegno CODISCO – Serie: I linguaggi delle scienze cognitive (with V. Cardella), Corisco, Rome, 2009.
Selected Articles and Book Chapters
Embodied Desire, Artificial Companions: On the Shaping of Human Attraction, Frontiers in Psychology, forthcoming, 2026.
From Eros to Sex Robots, Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Consciousness, forthcoming, 2026.
Dinamiche dell’attrazione sessuale tra interazioni reali e virtuali. Un breve viaggio tra biologia, emozioni e tecnologia, TerzaNotizia, 2025.
Pensare artificiale, EcoFuturo, 2025.
Before Words. Music and Its Natural History (with F. Esposito), in De Musica, 2023.
Emotions, Art and Virtual Reality: An Exploratory Study (with A. Re and L. Ieni), Brainfactor, 2023.
Storytelling e teoria dell’evoluzione: differenze di genere nelle fantasie sessuali, in Pluralismi. Corpi, politiche e rappresentazioni di genere, Mimesis, 2023.
Love, Sex, and Language: Gender Differences in Sexual Fantasizing and Evolutionary Evidence from Storytelling, ProtoSociology, 2022.
Differenze di genere nello storytelling, Rivista Italiana di Filosofia del Linguaggio, 2022.
Lost in Love. Why Is It So Painful When Romances Go Wrong?, in V. Cardella, A. Gangemi (eds.), Psychopathology and the Mind, Routledge, London, 2021.
Evolutionary Psychology and Emotions: A Species-Typical Computational Design, Theoria et Historia Scientiarum, 2019.
Anti-Anthropomorphism and Its Limits (with P. Perconti and A. Plebe), Frontiers in Psychology, 2018.
Il peso del framing narrativo nella costruzione del consenso politico, in Building Consensus, Rivista Italiana di Filosofia del Linguaggio, 2016.
Solo per diletto? Musica e selezione sessuale, in Il ritmo della mente. La musica tra scienza cognitiva e psicoterapia, Mimesis, 2015.
La scienza dell’amore e i suoi limiti, Rivista Internazionale di Filosofia e Psicologia, Vol. 4, no. 3, 2013.
What Language for Turing Test in the Age of Qualia? (with F. Bianchini), in V.C. Müller and A. Ayesh (eds.), Revisiting Turing and his Test, AISB, 2012.
Linguaggio verbale e inconscio politico, Rivista Italiana di Filosofia del Linguaggio, 2012.
Love in Question, Reti, saperi, linguaggi, 2012.
Love Letters. La dimensione soggettiva del senso e la sua omologazione espressiva, in F. Bianchini (ed.), Imitare la mente, Quodlibet, 2011.
La psicologia evoluzionista di fronte all’attrazione sessuale. Processi cognitivi naturalizzati nel modo sbagliato, Sistemi Intelligenti, 2010.
Naturalizzare la religione, Segno, 2009.
Prefaces
Preface to Mio servo, mio padrone. Legami perversi di coppia, by S. Iacone, Mimesis, Milan, 2016.
Afterwords
Afterword to the third volume of the series Semi per il futuro, L’uomo, l’animale, la natura. Questioni di etica, Graphe Edizioni, 2019.
Interviews
L’“umiltà evoluzionistica” di Darwin e altre questioni filosofiche, interview by Ivana Magarese for Morel. Voci dall’isola, 29 January 2024, published in Magma, no. 4.
Conversazione con Alessandro Minelli. Il labirinto delle forme possibili, in APhEx – Portale Italiano di Filosofia Analitica, no. 13, 13 January 2016.
Un’altra vita, interview with Giovanni Giardina, Director of the Regional Wildlife Rescue Centre of Ficuzza, in V. Sonzogni (ed.), Salvi. Appunti per una teoria e pratica dei rifugi animali, goWare Edizioni, 2015.
San Valentino, la scienza dell’innamorarsi. Cosa succede al nostro corpo quando si ama qualcuno, interview by Simone Valesini for Wired Italia, 13 February 2015.
Interview with David Freedberg, in FOR, Franco Angeli, Milan, no. 87, 2011, pp. 81–86.
L’amore tra ragione, chimica e sentimento, interview by Alessandra Gilardini for the scientific magazine BrainFactor, 9 May 2012.
Reviews
Le guerre per la lingua. Piegare l’italiano per darsi ragione, review of Edoardo Lombardi Vallauri’s book Le guerre per la lingua. Piegare l’italiano per darsi ragione, Einaudi, Turin, in Circula: rivista di ideologie linguistiche, no. 29, 2024.
Il delitto del cervello, in APhEx – Portale Italiano di Filosofia Analitica, no. 8, 25 June 2013 (review of A. Lavazza and L. Sammicheli, Il delitto del cervello. La mente tra scienza e diritto, Codice, Turin, 2012).
Parlo dunque sono, review of Andrea Moro’s Parlo dunque sono, Adelphi, Turin, 2012, in Lettera Internazionale, no. 115, 2013.
Buone idee per la mente. I fondamenti cognitivi ed evolutivi della cultura, in Pikaia – Il portale dell’evoluzione, 19 April 2012.
Sesso e genere, in APhEx – Portale Italiano di Filosofia Analitica, no. 4, 1 July 2011 (review of V. Tripodi, Filosofia della sessualità, Carocci, Rome, 2011).
La vita inaspettata, in APhEx – Portale Italiano di Filosofia Analitica, no. 5, 2012 (review of T. Pievani, La vita inaspettata. Il fascino di un’evoluzione che non ci aveva previsto, Raffaello Cortina, Milan, 2011).
MEDIA INTERVIEWS AND PUBLIC DISSEMINATION
Psicologia del cattivi soggetti, with Stefano Iacone, RTN TV, 11 February 2021.
L’amore: malattia curabile, interview by Gino Ceschina for RSI – Radiotelevisione Svizzera, 14 February 2019.
Radio Capodistria, hosted by Corinne Brenko, La scienza dell’innamoramento, 15 February 2018.
Interview with Domenica Bruni on Amor, ch’a nullo amato… amar bestiale, fifth issue of Animot (edited by D. Bruni and M. Ferraguti), GraphoMania – Graphe.it, 20 June 2016.
Striscia Filosofica on liberi.tv, hosted by Leonardo Caffo in collaboration with Luca Taddio / Mimesis Edizioni, 24 May 2013. Guests: Domenica Bruni and Maria Grazia Turri. Topic: Manifesto per un nuovo femminismo.
Spazio Life on liberi.tv, hosted by Giovanna Devetag, Secretary of the Radical Anti-speciesist Association Parte in causa, 19 April 2013. Discussion of Like me? Mente e diritti negli altri animali.
Striscia Filosofica on liberi.tv, hosted by Leonardo Caffo in collaboration with Luca Taddio / Mimesis Edizioni, 25 January 2012. Guest: Domenica Bruni. Topic: Politici sfigurati. Comunicazione politica e scienza cognitiva.
RAI RadioUno, Benfatto (hosts: Lorenzo Opice and Annalisa Manduca), 12 October 2012. Discussion on simplicity of life, social relationships, and love.
RAI RadioUno, Benfatto (hosts: Lorenzo Opice and Annalisa Manduca), 15 November 2012. Discussion on habits and everyday routines based on Doxa research.
Radio Interland, Flatus Vocis, 12 January 2012 – Love and Cognitive Science. Discussion on love, biology, and contemporary research in cognitive science.
Languages
Italian: native speaker.
English: good command of written and spoken English.
Digital Skills
Excellent command of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel), digital communication tools, academic platforms, social media management, and online teaching environments.
Additional Professional Activities
From 2005 to 2007 – Contributor to the Calabrian regional newspaper Il Domani.
From 7 January to 5 March 2006 – Collaboration in communication and educational activities for the exhibition Luigi Di Sarro – L’anatomia dell’arte, Lamezia Terme (Catanzaro).
Academic Year 2004–2005 – Classroom tutor at the Degree Programme in Philosophy and Communication Sciences, University of Calabria.
From 2003 to 2005 – Technical data-entry support within the development of the Quality System, University of Calabria.
From 8 November 2004 to 8 February 2005 – Technical IT support assistant for the Degree Programme in Philosophy and Communication Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Philosophy, University of Calabria.
From 2003 to 2004 – Peer tutoring activities at the Degree Programme in Philosophy and Communication Sciences, University of Calabria.
Research Interests
Philosophy of language; pragmatics; cognitive science; philosophy of mind; evolutionary psychology; emotions and affective cognition; communication and political language; storytelling; gender studies; sexuality and attraction; artificial intelligence; virtual relationships; anthropomorphism; embodied cognition; clinical pragmatics; consciousness studies; philosophy of technology; animal studies.
Name: Domenica Bruni
Date of Birth: 08/02/1979
Nationality: Italian
E-mail: dbruni@unime.it
Residence: Piazza della Rivoluzione 17, 90133 Palermo (PA), Italy
Telephone: +39 320 4737473
Affiliation: Department of Ancient and Modern Civilizations, University of Messina, Viale Giovanni Palatucci 13, 98168 Messina, Italy.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7974-8318
Scopus ID: 56019128200
Web of Science Researcher ID: OZE-4089-2025
MAIN RESEARCH AREAS
Philosophy of language, pragmatics, cognitive science, evolutionary psychology.
CURRENT POSITION
Associate Professor of Philosophy and Theory of Language, Academic Recruitment Field 11/C4, SSD M-FIL/05 (new denomination: 11/PHIL-04, SSD PHIL-04/B), from 16 May 2021 to the present.
Member of the Experimental Philosophy Laboratory, Department of Ancient and Modern Civilizations, University of Messina, from 2023 to the present.
ACADEMIC AFFILIATIONS
Department of Ancient and Modern Civilizations (DICAM), University of Messina (from 2019 to the present).
Department of Cognitive, Psychological, Pedagogical and Cultural Studies (COSPECS), University of Messina (from 2007 to 2018).
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
From 16 May 2018 to 16 May 2021 – Researcher in Philosophy and Theory of Language (RTD-B, SSD M-FIL/05, pursuant to Art. 24, paragraph 3, letter B).
From 18 March 2014 to 15 May 2018 – Researcher in Philosophy and Theory of Language (RTD-A, SSD M-FIL/05, pursuant to Art. 24, paragraph 3, letter A).
National Scientific Qualification for Full Professorship in Academic Recruitment Field 11/C4 – Aesthetics and Philosophy of Language, SSD M-FIL/05 (2018 session; valid from 04/06/2021 to 04/06/2032).
National Scientific Qualification for Associate Professorship in Academic Recruitment Field 11/C4 – Aesthetics and Philosophy of Language, SSD M-FIL/05 (2016 session; valid from 30/03/2018 to 30/03/2024).
National Scientific Qualification for Associate Professorship in Academic Recruitment Field 11/C4 – Aesthetics and Philosophy of Language, SSD M-FIL/05 (2013 session; valid from 17/10/2014 to 17/10/2020).
2010 – PhD in Cognitive Science (with scholarship), XXII cycle, University of Messina (academic years 2007–2009), with a dissertation entitled La forza della natura. Le radici evolutive del sesso e dell’innamoramento, supervised by Prof. Francesco Ferretti (Roma Tre University).
2006 – Advanced Training Course in “Animators of Cultural Tourism Heritage in the Isthmus Area”, Faculty of Economics, University of Calabria, organized in collaboration with the School of Management for Business and Public Administration.
2005 – Professional Training Course in “Methods and Tools for Network Administrative Management”, taught by Prof. Giuseppe Traversa (University of Pisa), University of Calabria, Degree Programme in Philosophy and Communication Sciences.
2004 – Laurea in Philosophy (old Italian system equivalent to MA degree), University of Calabria, awarded with honours (110/110 cum laude). Dissertation in Philosophy of Language entitled Comprendere il linguaggio. Per uno studio cognitivo della semantica, supervised by Prof. Daniele Gambarara and Prof. Francesco Ferretti.
EDUCATION
Periods of Study Abroad
2016 – Visiting Researcher, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen (October–November 2016); tutor: Prof. W.F.G. (Pim) Haselager.
March 2015 – Visiting Researcher, Department of Philosophy, New York University.
2012 – Visiting Researcher, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University
Nijmegen (April–May 2012); tutor: Prof. W.F.G. (Pim) Haselager.
2009 – Oxford University (UK), bibliographical research at the Bodleian Library.
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
Organization, Direction, and Coordination of National Research Groups
Principal Investigator of a Type B Research Grant (SSD M-FIL/05) at the Department of DICAM, University of Messina, for the project “Individual, Environment, Art: An Ecological Approach to the Learning of Artistic Forms”, within the FISR project “La rifunzionalizzazione del contemporaneo” (January 2021 – January 2022).
President of the Palermo Section of the Italian Philosophical Society (SFI) (from January 2026 to the present).
Vice President of the Palermo Section of the Italian Philosophical Society (SFI) (from April 2019 to December 2025).
Participation in National and International Research Groups
-Since 2023 – Member of the Experimental Philosophy Laboratory, Department of Ancient and Modern Civilizations, University of Messina.
-Since 2020 – Member of the CIRM – Inter-University Centre for Metaphor Research.
-Member of the PRIN PNRR 2022 research project “Metaphor and Epistemic Injustice in Mental Illness: the Case of Schizophrenia”, local unit of the University of Messina.
-Member of the PRIN research project (2007–2009) “Philosophy and Naturalization of the Mind: New Perspectives on Knowledge and Human Nature”, local unit of the University of Messina.
-Member of the PRA research project (2006–2007), directed by Prof. Pietro Perconti, “The Naturalization of Self-Knowledge”.
-Member of the PRA research project (2008–2009), directed by Prof. Pietro Perconti, “Cognitive Science and Its Impact on Folk Knowledge”.
SCIENTIFIC COORDINATION AND INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS
Scientific Coordinator of the Visiting Researcher Programme of Prof. Gerard Steen (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), Department of DICAM, University of Messina, 2026.
SCIENTIFIC AFFILIATIONS
Member of XPRAG.it – An Italian Network of Experimental Pragmatics.
Member of the International Center for Consciousness Studies (ICCS).
Member of the Italian Society for the Philosophy of Language.
Member of the Italian Society for Analytic Philosophy.
Member of the Italian Association for Cognitive Science.
Member of CODISCO – National Coordination of PhD Programmes in Cognitive Science.
AWARDS AND RESEARCH FUNDING
Recipient of the “University Basic Research Funding” (FFABR Unime), 2022.
Recipient of the “University Basic Research Funding” (FFABR Unime), second edition, 2020.
Recipient of the Faculty Merit Award, 2018.
Recipient of the “Basic Research Activities Fund” (FFABR), 2017.
EDITORIAL ACTIVITIES, SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEES, AND ACADEMIC SERVICE
-Member of the Cyclical Review Committee for the Degree Programme in Cognitive Science (LM55), Department of COSPECS, and for the Degree Programme in Philosophy (L5), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
-Member of the Quality Assurance Committee for the Master’s Degree Programme in Philosophy (LM78), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
-Member of the Quality Assurance Committee for the Degree Programme in Cognitive Science (LM55) and the Master’s Degree Programme in Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience (LM51), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
-Member of the regional selection committee for the XXXII edition of the Philosophy Olympiad, 16 February 2024.
-Member of the regional selection committee for the XXXI edition of the Philosophy Olympiad, 16 March 2023.
-Member of the regional selection committee for the XXVII edition of the Philosophy Olympiad, 21 March 2019.
-Member of the Scientific Committee of the series La mente e i sistemi cognitivi. Collana di Scienze cognitive, filosofia e tecnologia, Aracne Editrice, Rome.
-Member of the Editorial Board of Reti, saperi e linguaggi. Italian Journal of Cognitive Sciences, Il Mulino, Bologna (2014–2023).
-Member of the Editorial Board of Edas Edizioni, Messina.
Member of the Scientific Committee of the interdisciplinary journal Testo e Senso, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”.
-Member of the Scientific Committee of the journal Animot. L’altra filosofia, Graphe.it Edizioni (since 2014).
-Honorary Member of the open-source digital platform Scuola di Terza Generazione.
Member of the Scientific Committee of the annual conference of the Italian Association for Cognitive Science (AISC).
-Member of the Editorial Board of Corisco Edizioni.
-Member of the Editorial Board of Reti, saperi e linguaggi, journal of the Department of Cognitive Sciences, Education and Cultural Studies, University of Messina [ISSN 2279-7777].
-Member of the Editorial Board of the blog Gallinae in Fabula. Animalismo e antispecismo [ISSN 2283-9488].
-Contributor (2017) to L’indice dei libri del mese, monthly cultural review magazine.
-Contributor (2012) to the cultural pages of Lettera Internazionale, Italian edition – European quarterly journal of culture.
-Former member of the Editorial Board of Asinus Novus, journal of Anti-speciesism and Philosophy [ISSN 2240-7367].
-Former member of the Editorial Board of Animal Studies. Rivista italiana di antispecismo, Novalogos.
-Invited contributor (since 2012) to Rai Filosofia, a joint project of Rai Educational and Rai Scuola.
-Administrator and Manager of the official Facebook page of the University of Messina.
-Administrator and Manager of the official Facebook page of the Department of Cognitive Sciences (COSPECS), University of Messina.
REFEREEING ACTIVITY
Referee for Frontiers (since 2020).
Referee for Rivista K (since 2019).
Referee for Rivista Italiana di Filosofia del Linguaggio (RIFL) (since 2015).
Referee for Rivista Internazionale di Filosofia e Psicologia (RIFP), Mimesis, Turin (since 2015).
Referee for Isonomia (University of Urbino) (since 2013).
Referee for APhEx (Analytical and Philosophical Explanation) (since 2012).
Referee for Reti, saperi, linguaggi. Rivista del Dipartimento di Scienze Cognitive, della Formazione e degli Studi culturali dell’Università di Messina (since 2012).
Referee for the Italian Association for Cognitive Science (AISC) (since 2012).
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
University Teaching
Academic Year 2025–2026
Philosophy of Language, MA Programme in Contemporary Philosophy (LM78), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy of Language, BA Programme in Philosophy (L5), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy of Language, BA Programme in Information Sciences: Journalism Techniques and Social Media (L20), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Academic Year 2024–2025
Philosophy of Language, MA Programme in Contemporary Philosophy (LM78), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy of Language, BA Programme in Philosophy (L5), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy of Language, BA Programme in Information Sciences: Journalism Techniques and Social Media (L20), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Academic Year 2023–2024
Philosophy of Language, MA Programme in Contemporary Philosophy (LM78), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy of Language, BA Programme in Philosophy (L5), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy of Language, BA Programme in Information Sciences: Journalism Techniques and Social Media (L20), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Academic Year 2022–2023
Philosophy of Language, MA Programme in Contemporary Philosophy (LM78), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy of Language, BA Programme in Philosophy (L5), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy of Language, BA Programme in Information Sciences: Journalism Techniques and Social Media (L20), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy of Mind, BA Programme in Psychological Sciences and Techniques (L24), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina, Noto campus (Siracusa).
Philosophy of Mind, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina, Noto campus (Siracusa).
Academic Year 2021–2022
Philosophy of Language, MA Programme in Contemporary Philosophy (LM78), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy of Language, BA Programme in Philosophy (L5), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, MA Programme in Pedagogical Sciences (LM51), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina, Noto campus (Siracusa).
Academic Year 2020–2021
Theory of Language, MA Programme in Italian Language and Culture for Foreigners (LM739), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy of Language, MA Programme in Contemporary Philosophy (LM78), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy of Language, BA Programme in Philosophy (L5), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, MA Programme in Cognitive Science and Communication Theory (LM55/92) and MA Programme in Pedagogical Sciences (LM51), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Academic Year 2019–2020
Theory of Language, MA Programme in Italian Language and Culture for Foreigners (LM739), Department of DICAM, University of Messina.
Evolutionary Psychology, BA Programme in Psychological Sciences and Techniques (L24), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, MA Programme in Cognitive Science and Communication Theory (LM55/92), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, MA Programme in Pedagogical Sciences (LM51), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Academic Year 2018–2019
Evolutionary Psychology, BA Programme in Psychological Sciences and Techniques (L24), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, MA Programme in Cognitive Science (LM55), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Philosophy of Mind, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), CUMO, Noto campus.
Evolutionary Psychology, BA Programme in Psychological Sciences and Techniques (L24), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina, Noto campus.
Academic Year 2017–2018
Philosophy of Mind, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), CUMO, Noto campus.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology (Cognitive Science Seminar Laboratories), MA Programme in Cognitive Science (LM55), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, MA Programme in Cognitive Science (LM55), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Academic Year 2016–2017
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology (Cognitive Science Seminar Laboratories), MA Programme in Cognitive Science (LM55), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Biolinguistics (Cognitive Science Seminar Laboratories), MA Programme in Cognitive Science (LM55), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), CUMO, Noto campus.
Philosophy of Mind, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), CUMO, Noto campus.
Academic Year 2015–2016
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology (Cognitive Science Seminar Laboratories), MA Programme in Cognitive Science (LM55), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), CUMO, Noto campus.
Philosophy of Mind, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), CUMO, Noto campus.
Academic Year 2014–2015
Philosophy of Mind, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), CUMO, Noto campus.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), CUMO, Noto campus.
Evolutionary Psychopathology, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), CUMO, Noto campus.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology (Cognitive Science Seminar Laboratories), MA Programme in Cognitive Science (LM55), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Academic Year 2013–2014
Philosophy of Mind, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), CUMO, Noto campus.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), CUMO, Noto campus.
Evolutionary Psychopathology, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), CUMO, Noto campus.
Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, BA Programme in Communication Sciences (L20), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Evolutionary Psycholinguistics (Cognitive Science Seminar Laboratories), MA Programme in Cognitive Science (LM55), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Academic Year 2012–2013
Adjunct Lecturer in Evolutionary Psycholinguistics, Master’s Degree Programme in Cognitive Science, Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Adjunct Lecturer in Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, Bachelor’s Degree Programme (L20), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
Adjunct Lecturer in Evolutionary Psychopathology, Bachelor’s Degree Programme (L20), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina, Noto campus (Siracusa).
Adjunct Lecturer in Philosophy and Evolutionary Psychology, Bachelor’s Degree Programme (L20), Department of COSPECS, University of Messina, Noto campus (Siracusa).
Academic Year 2011–2012
Adjunct Lecturer in Evolutionary Psychopathology, Master’s Degree Programme in Cognitive Science, Faculty of Education, University of Messina.
Adjunct Lecturer in Evolutionary Psychopathology, Bachelor’s Degree Programme, Faculty of Education, University of Messina, Noto campus (Siracusa).
Academic Year 2010–2011
Adjunct Lecturer in Evolutionary Psycholinguistics, Master’s Degree Programme in Cognitive Science, Faculty of Education, University of Messina.
Adjunct Lecturer in Evolutionary Psycholinguistics, Bachelor’s Degree Programme, Faculty of Education, University of Messina, Noto campus (Siracusa).
Other Teaching Activities
From 2007 to 2017 – Teaching collaboration in the courses of Philosophy of Mind and Theory of Language, Faculty of Education, University of Messina (Prof. Pietro Perconti).
From 2007 to 2010 – Teaching collaboration in the course of Philosophy of Language, Faculty of Education, University of Messina (Prof. Antonino Pennisi).
September 2023 – Lecturer in Cognitive Processes of Communication (M-FIL/05) within the First-Level Master’s Programme in Digital Communication for Public Administration and Business, University of Messina.
April 2021 – Lecturer in Cognitive Processes of Communication (M-FIL/05) within the First-Level Master’s Programme in Digital Communication for Public Administration and Business, University of Messina.
February 2020 – Lecturer in Cognitive Processes of Communication (M-FIL/05) within the First-Level Master’s Programme in Social Media Management, University of Messina.
From September 2018 to February 2023 – Lecturer at I.T.F. RC-ME, Institute of Family Therapy of Reggio Calabria and Messina.
5 April 2014 – What We Know About the Mind: Evolutionary Psychology and Its Ambitions, training seminar within the specialization course in Systemic-Relational Psychotherapy, Centro Eidos, Treviso.
20–22 September 2012 – Lecture at the School of Philosophy and History of Biology and Medicine, Nettuno: The Body of Pleasure (SISSA Trieste; Italian Society for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Medicine and Biology), Fortezza San Gallo, Nettuno.
ACADEMIC AND INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Since May 2024 – Member of the Board of Lecturers of the PhD Programme in Cognitive Science, University of Messina.
From 2015 to June 2023 – Member of the Board of Lecturers of the PhD Programme in Cognitive Science, University of Messina.
From 2011 to 2013 – Member of the Board of Lecturers of the PhD Programme in Cognitive Science, University of Messina.
Since December 2019 – Coordinator of tutoring and orientation activities within the POT “Prometheus” project for the Degree Programme in Psychological Sciences and Techniques (L24).
Since October 2019 – Delegate for orientation and tutoring for the Master’s Degree Programme in Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience (LM51).
Since 2010 – Tutor for the Master’s Degree Programme in Cognitive Science, University of Messina.
Since 2009 – Member, as subject expert, of the examination board in Neuroscience, Faculty of Education, University of Messina.
Since 2008 – Member, as subject expert, of the examination board in Theories and Techniques of Brain Imaging, Faculty of Education, University of Messina.
Since 2007 – Member, as subject expert, of the examination boards in Philosophy of Mind, Cognitive Processes of Communication, and Philosophy of Language, Faculty of Education, University of Messina.
From 2006 to 2009 – Tutor for Language Science laboratories (SSD M-FIL/05), Faculty of Education, University of Messina.
ORGANIZATION OF CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS, AND SCIENTIFIC EVENTS
Member of the Organising Committee of The Question of Consciousness: What Are We Talking About?, Salina, 19–21 September 2025.
Member of the Organising Committee of Pragmasophia 4 – International Conference on Pragmatics and Philosophy, Messina, 11–14 June 2024.
Member of the Organising Committee of The Science of Consciousness 2023, Taormina, 22–28 May 2023.
Member of the Scientific Committee (philosophical consultancy) of the VII Festival delle Filosofie, Artificial Intelligence, Palermo–Messina–Cefalù–Isnello, 9–30 November 2024.
Member of the Scientific Committee of the VI Festival delle Filosofie, On Democracy, Palermo–Catania–Messina–Cefalù–Isnello, 4–26 November 2023.
Member of the Scientific Committee of the V Festival delle Filosofie, Justice: Violence, Rights and Community, Palermo, 8–31 October 2022.
Organizer of Do You Like Wittgenstein?, World Philosophy Day, Italian Philosophical Society (SFI), Palermo Section, Palermo, 19 November 2021.
Member of the Scientific Committee of the seminar series Pluralismi. Riflessioni su corpi, politiche e rappresentazioni di genere, Department of COSPECS, University of Messina (2022–2026).
Chair of the thematic section Philosophy of Sexuality at the 25th World Congress of Philosophy, Philosophy across Boundaries, Rome, 1–8 August 2024.
Member of the Scientific Committee of the XVII AISC Annual Conference 2021, Palazzo Giavanti, CUMO, Noto, December 2021.
Member of the Organising Committee of the International Conference Pragmasofia, Palazzo Giavanti, CUMO, Noto, 13–16 July 2021.
Member of the Scientific Committee of the XIV National Conference of the Italian Society for Analytic Philosophy (SIFA), Palazzo Giavanti, CUMO, Noto, 22–24 September 2021.
Co-curator (with Paola Di Mauro) of the screening of the film Sulla mia pelle. Gli ultimi sette giorni di Stefano Cucchi, Department of COSPECS, University of Messina, 20 November 2018.
Member of the Scientific Committee of the conference Mondo e soggetto. Sviluppo e/o decostruzione dei fondamenti filosofici, University of Messina, 19–20 March 2018.
Member of the Organising Committee of the Mid-Term Conference of the Italian Association for Cognitive Science (AISC 2017), University of Messina, 8–10 June 2017.
Organizer of the symposium Male parole, in collaboration with the Italian Society for the Philosophy of Language, University of Messina, 9 June 2017.
Organizer of the seminar series Filosofia e cognizione for the PhD Programme in Cognitive Science, University of Messina, academic year 2016–2017.
Organizer of the meetings with Francesco Bianchini (University of Bologna): Turing: la mente dalle macchine alla biologia and Coscienza, intelligenza e sistemi in Dennett e Hofstadter, CUMO, Noto campus, 1–2 March 2017.
Organizer of the lecture by Leonardo Caffo (University of Turin), Il postumano contemporaneo come speciazione, University of Messina, 1 June 2016.
Member of the Organising Committee of the Mid-Term Conference of the Italian Association for Cognitive Science (AISC 2015), Palermo, 21–22 May 2015.
Member of the Organising Committee of the European Society for Philosophy and Psychology (ESPP), Noto (Siracusa), 16–19 September 2014.
Collaboration in the scientific organisation of CODISCO (National Coordination of PhD Programmes in Cognitive Science), 2007–2011.
Scientific organisation of the workshop Etologia e scienza cognitiva with Enrico Alleva and Simone Macrì (Italian National Institute of Health, Department of Neuroscience), University of Messina, 30 September 2011.
Scientific organisation of the meeting Scuola e lingua with Edoardo Martinelli, student of Don Lorenzo Milani, University of Messina, 10 May 2011.
Scientific organisation of the seminar series delivered at the University of Messina by Prof. Ignazio Licata, Scientific Director of ISEM (Institute for Scientific Methodology):
More Is Simplest: la teoria dell’emergenza, del tutto e di ogni cosa, 24 January 2011.
Terza cultura o giusta distanza? Scienza, racconti della scienza e società, 25 January 2011.
Scientific organisation of the conference La natura della coscienza, University of Messina, 15–17 September 2010.
Collaboration in the scientific organisation of the lectures delivered by Prof. John R. Searle (University of California, Berkeley), 20–22 May 2010.
Collaboration in the scientific organisation of the lecture series delivered at the University of Messina by Prof. Vittorio Gallese (University of Parma):
Le basi neurofisiologiche della intersoggettività, 19–20 January 2009.
Neuroni specchio, intersoggettività e senso di sé, 15–17 March 2010.
Organisation of the presentation of Armando Massarenti’s book Il filosofo tascabile, Faculty of Education, University of Messina, 22 March 2010.
Scientific organisation of the workshop delivered by Prof. Douglas Hofstadter (Indiana University), University of Messina, 11–12 June 2009.
Collaboration in the scientific organisation of the lecture series delivered by Prof. Ned Block (New York University), February 2008.
INVITED TALKS, CONFERENCES, AND PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS
28 February 2026 – Quando il desiderio perde il corpo: attrazione e compagni artificiali, International Conference Do Also Humans Dream of Electric Sheep? Tecnoscientific, Cultural and Cognitive Challenges of AI, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”.
17 May 2026 – Tra lingua viva e pagine in movimento, Maggio dei Libri 2026, University of Messina.
12 April 2025 – Round table: Artificial Intelligence between Neuroscience, Philosophy and Society (with Pietro Perconti, Raffaella Rumiati, Antonio Chella), Festa di Scienza e Filosofia 2025, Foligno (Perugia).
20 December 2024 – L’amore tra natura e cultura, Isnello (Palermo).
21 September 2024 – Corpo, amore e sessualità, Italian Institute of Group Psychoanalysis (IIPG), Palermo Section.
7 August 2024 – Coordination of the panel FROM EROS TO SEX ROBOTS: EXPLORING THE MORAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL CHALLENGES OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS, with Andrea Lavazza, Pietro Perconti, Antonio Chella, and Raffaella Rumiati, 25th World Congress of Philosophy Philosophy across Boundaries, Sapienza University of Rome.
1–8 August 2024 – Coordination of the thematic section Philosophy of Sexuality, 25th World Congress of Philosophy Philosophy across Boundaries, Sapienza University of Rome.
27–29 June 2024 – Poster presentation: Virtual Insanity. Natural and Digital Forms of Sexual Attraction, First ICCS Conference Uncovering the Magic of Consciousness, Santa Maria della Scala, Siena.
3–5 June 2024 – Poster presentation (with L. Ieni and A. Re): Art and Virtual Reality: An Exploratory Study, conference From 4E to 5E Cognition: About Emotions, University of Catania.
23 September 2022 – Differenze di genere nello storytelling, XXVII Conference of the Italian Society for the Philosophy of Language, Botanical Garden, Palermo.
31 October 2021 – Curami. Bene comune, individui e vita sociale, with Massimo Castiglia and Pierpaolo Zampieri, Festival delle Filosofie, Palermo.
5 February 2021 – La natura dell’amore, week promoted by the student community, Galileo Galilei Scientific High School, Palermo.
26 November 2020 – L’amore: una questione di vincoli (naturali), S.I.BIL meeting, Department of Philosophy, Communication and Performing Arts, Roma Tre University.
31 October 2020 – Animali, ambienti, filosofie, with Felice Cimatti and Pietro Perconti. Moderated by Marco Carapezza, Festival delle Filosofie Ecosofie, Palazzo Steri, Palermo.
18 March 2020 – L’amore: una questione (parzialmente) naturale, Department of Humanities – PhD Programme in Humanities, University of Palermo.
12 February 2020 – Galápagos, Darwin Day 2020, Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
19 December 2019 – Round table: Per una pedagogia del viaggio, Department of COSPECS, University of Messina.
22 November 2019 – Invited lecture: L’attrazione sessuale, National Congress G.C. ORL, Salerno.
14 December 2018 – Sistemi cognitivi e prassi emotiva, conference Conoscere è fare. Fare è conoscere. Da Vico a Fourier, Marx, Maturana, San Marco d’Alunzio, Messina.
20 October 2018 – The Night of Philosophy, with Edoardo Lombardi Vallauri, Gloria Origgi, Francesca Piazza, Andrea Le Moli, Chiara Bottici, and Vanessa Place, Fondazione The Brass Group, Ridotto dello Spasimo, Palermo.
14 February 2018 – Invited lecture: La scienza dell’innamoramento, introduced by Fabio Pagan, Teatro Miela, Trieste.
16 February 2017 – Presentation of the book Mio servo, mio padrone. Legami perversi di coppia e psicoterapia (with S. Iacone), Naples.
12 February 2016 – Presentation of the book Il ritmo della mente. La musica tra scienza cognitiva e psicoterapia (with S. Iacone, M. Della Rocca, C. Morabito and G. Ruggiero), Palazzo Zapata, Piazza Trieste e Trento, Naples.
27 November 2015 – Le menti degli altri. Modelli di mente animale, Sapienza University of Rome.
15 April 2015 – Il peso delle narrazioni nella costruzione del consenso politico, conference Building Consensus. Rhetoric between Democracy and Conflict, Botanical Garden, Palermo.
9 May 2015 – II National Conference of IMePS (Institute of Systemic Medicine and Psychology), Menti che si incontrano. Psicoterapia sistemica e scienze della mente a confronto, Naples.
12 June 2014 – L’ontologia sociale dell’amore, LabOnt Seminar, Department of Philosophy and Educational Sciences, University of Turin.
5 April 2014 – Cosa sappiamo della mente. La psicologia evoluzionista e le sue ambizioni, training seminar within the specialization course in Systemic-Relational Psychotherapy, Centro Eidos, Treviso.
25 October 2013 – Darwin in Love. Una storia naturale dell’amore, conference Psicologia evoluzionistica e dipendenze patologiche, organized by the Order of Psychologists of Campania, Convitto Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele, Naples.
27 June 2013 – Like me? Mente e diritti negli altri animali. Presentation of the second issue of Animal Studies. Rivista italiana di antispecismo with Pietro Perconti and Pietro Saitta, Teatro Pinelli, Messina.
17 June 2013 – Politici sfigurati. Comunicazione politica e scienza cognitiva, AISC Mid-Term Conference Cognitive Sciences: Applications and Socio-Economic Value, Faculty of Economics, Messina.
12–14 December 2012 – Le emozioni come adattamenti, conference Mente darwiniana e addiction. Neuroscienze, evoluzionismo e psicoterapia, Milan.
20–22 September 2012 – Il corpo del piacere, School of Philosophy and History of Biology and Medicine, Nettuno.
15 June 2012 – Linguaggio verbale e inconscio politico, conference La forza delle parole, University of Calabria.
10 May 2012 – La scienza dell’amore e i suoi limiti, Department of Philosophy, Roma Tre University.
16 March 2012 – Love in Question, seminar at the Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of Messina.
20 January 2012 – Politici sfigurati. Comunicazione politica e scienza cognitiva, presentation seminar, University of Messina.
15 October 2011 – Naturalizzare l’amore, seminar within the conference Scienze cognitive e natura umana, Palermo.
30 September 2011 – Etologia e scienza cognitiva, workshop with Enrico Alleva and Simone Macrì, University of Messina.
18 March 2011 – La psicologia evoluzionistica delle emozioni, seminar, University of Messina.
15 September 2010 – La forza della natura. Le radici evolutive del sesso e dell’innamoramento, conference La natura della coscienza, University of Messina.
7 July 2010 – I limiti della psicologia evoluzionista. Il caso dell’attrazione sessuale, III CODISCO Conference Natura, comunicazione, neurofilosofie, Rome.
18–20 November 2009 – Differenze di genere e matematica? (with M. Graziano), II CODISCO Conference Mente, linguaggio e società, University of Messina.
11–12 June 2009 – Participation in the workshop led by Douglas Hofstadter, University of Messina.
20 March 2009 – Naturalizzare la religione, seminar in Philosophy and Cognitive Science, University of Messina.
15 January 2009 – L’origine della produzione vocale (with M. Primo and V. De La Cruz), CODISCO Conference I linguaggi delle scienze cognitive, Rome.
12 December 2008 – Comunicazione politica: rituali, simboli e frames, seminar in Political Communication and Cognitive Science, University of Messina.
22 May 2008 – Ho scelto te, seminar in Philosophy of Emotions and Human Relationships, University of Messina.
15 April 2008 – Comprendere il linguaggio. Per uno studio cognitivo della semantica, seminar in Philosophy of Language, University of Calabria.
PUBLICATIONS
Monographs
Pragmatica. Una cassetta degli attrezzi, Cesati Editore, Florence, 2026.
Psicologia evoluzionistica. Dal cervello del Pleistocene alla mente moderna, Carocci, Rome, 2017.
Politici sfigurati. Comunicazione politica e scienza cognitiva, Mimesis, Milan, 2012.
Storia naturale dell’amore, Carocci, Rome, 2010.
Edited Volumes
L’esperienza dell’ascolto: dalla natura alla cultura (with F. Esposito), in De Musica, XXVII(2), 2023.
Pluralismi. Corpi, politiche e rappresentazioni di genere (with A. Cava, M. Meo, A. Penna), Mimesis, Milan, 2023.
“Stereotypes” (with F. Bianchini), Reti, saperi, linguaggi. Italian Journal of Cognitive Sciences, Il Mulino, no. 2, 2017.
Brevi cogitazioni (with A. Velardi), Corisco Edizioni, Rome–Messina, 2016.
Amor, ch’a nullo amato… amar bestiale (with M. Ferraguti), Animot. L’altra filosofia, Graphe.it Edizioni, no. 5, 2016.
Il ritmo della mente. La musica tra scienza cognitiva e psicoterapia (with G. Ruggiero), Mimesis, Milan, 2015.
Il futuro prossimo della scienza cognitiva (with M. Carapezza, M. Cruciani, G. Lo Bosco, A. Plebe, P. Perconti, M.E. Tabacchi), NeaScience, Year 2, Vol. 7, 2015.
New Perspectives for the Philosophy of Cognitive Science (with L. Caffo), Méthode – Analytic Perspectives, 2/2013.
Like me? Mente e diritti negli animali non umani, Animal Studies. Rivista italiana di antispecismo, Novalogos, no. 2, 2013.
Scienza cognitiva incarnata e modelli evoluzionistici (with E. Fugali), Reti, saperi, linguaggi, Corisco, Rome, 2012.
Mente, linguaggio e società. Atti del II Convegno CODISCO – Serie: I linguaggi delle scienze cognitive (with V. Cardella), Corisco, Rome, 2009.
Selected Articles and Book Chapters
Embodied Desire, Artificial Companions: On the Shaping of Human Attraction, Frontiers in Psychology, forthcoming, 2026.
From Eros to Sex Robots, Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Consciousness, forthcoming, 2026.
Dinamiche dell’attrazione sessuale tra interazioni reali e virtuali. Un breve viaggio tra biologia, emozioni e tecnologia, TerzaNotizia, 2025.
Pensare artificiale, EcoFuturo, 2025.
Before Words. Music and Its Natural History (with F. Esposito), in De Musica, 2023.
Emotions, Art and Virtual Reality: An Exploratory Study (with A. Re and L. Ieni), Brainfactor, 2023.
Storytelling e teoria dell’evoluzione: differenze di genere nelle fantasie sessuali, in Pluralismi. Corpi, politiche e rappresentazioni di genere, Mimesis, 2023.
Love, Sex, and Language: Gender Differences in Sexual Fantasizing and Evolutionary Evidence from Storytelling, ProtoSociology, 2022.
Differenze di genere nello storytelling, Rivista Italiana di Filosofia del Linguaggio, 2022.
Lost in Love. Why Is It So Painful When Romances Go Wrong?, in V. Cardella, A. Gangemi (eds.), Psychopathology and the Mind, Routledge, London, 2021.
Evolutionary Psychology and Emotions: A Species-Typical Computational Design, Theoria et Historia Scientiarum, 2019.
Anti-Anthropomorphism and Its Limits (with P. Perconti and A. Plebe), Frontiers in Psychology, 2018.
Il peso del framing narrativo nella costruzione del consenso politico, in Building Consensus, Rivista Italiana di Filosofia del Linguaggio, 2016.
Solo per diletto? Musica e selezione sessuale, in Il ritmo della mente. La musica tra scienza cognitiva e psicoterapia, Mimesis, 2015.
La scienza dell’amore e i suoi limiti, Rivista Internazionale di Filosofia e Psicologia, Vol. 4, no. 3, 2013.
What Language for Turing Test in the Age of Qualia? (with F. Bianchini), in V.C. Müller and A. Ayesh (eds.), Revisiting Turing and his Test, AISB, 2012.
Linguaggio verbale e inconscio politico, Rivista Italiana di Filosofia del Linguaggio, 2012.
Love in Question, Reti, saperi, linguaggi, 2012.
Love Letters. La dimensione soggettiva del senso e la sua omologazione espressiva, in F. Bianchini (ed.), Imitare la mente, Quodlibet, 2011.
La psicologia evoluzionista di fronte all’attrazione sessuale. Processi cognitivi naturalizzati nel modo sbagliato, Sistemi Intelligenti, 2010.
Naturalizzare la religione, Segno, 2009.
Prefaces
Preface to Mio servo, mio padrone. Legami perversi di coppia, by S. Iacone, Mimesis, Milan, 2016.
Afterwords
Afterword to the third volume of the series Semi per il futuro, L’uomo, l’animale, la natura. Questioni di etica, Graphe Edizioni, 2019.
Interviews
L’“umiltà evoluzionistica” di Darwin e altre questioni filosofiche, interview by Ivana Magarese for Morel. Voci dall’isola, 29 January 2024, published in Magma, no. 4.
Conversazione con Alessandro Minelli. Il labirinto delle forme possibili, in APhEx – Portale Italiano di Filosofia Analitica, no. 13, 13 January 2016.
Un’altra vita, interview with Giovanni Giardina, Director of the Regional Wildlife Rescue Centre of Ficuzza, in V. Sonzogni (ed.), Salvi. Appunti per una teoria e pratica dei rifugi animali, goWare Edizioni, 2015.
San Valentino, la scienza dell’innamorarsi. Cosa succede al nostro corpo quando si ama qualcuno, interview by Simone Valesini for Wired Italia, 13 February 2015.
Interview with David Freedberg, in FOR, Franco Angeli, Milan, no. 87, 2011, pp. 81–86.
L’amore tra ragione, chimica e sentimento, interview by Alessandra Gilardini for the scientific magazine BrainFactor, 9 May 2012.
Reviews
Le guerre per la lingua. Piegare l’italiano per darsi ragione, review of Edoardo Lombardi Vallauri’s book Le guerre per la lingua. Piegare l’italiano per darsi ragione, Einaudi, Turin, in Circula: rivista di ideologie linguistiche, no. 29, 2024.
Il delitto del cervello, in APhEx – Portale Italiano di Filosofia Analitica, no. 8, 25 June 2013 (review of A. Lavazza and L. Sammicheli, Il delitto del cervello. La mente tra scienza e diritto, Codice, Turin, 2012).
Parlo dunque sono, review of Andrea Moro’s Parlo dunque sono, Adelphi, Turin, 2012, in Lettera Internazionale, no. 115, 2013.
Buone idee per la mente. I fondamenti cognitivi ed evolutivi della cultura, in Pikaia – Il portale dell’evoluzione, 19 April 2012.
Sesso e genere, in APhEx – Portale Italiano di Filosofia Analitica, no. 4, 1 July 2011 (review of V. Tripodi, Filosofia della sessualità, Carocci, Rome, 2011).
La vita inaspettata, in APhEx – Portale Italiano di Filosofia Analitica, no. 5, 2012 (review of T. Pievani, La vita inaspettata. Il fascino di un’evoluzione che non ci aveva previsto, Raffaello Cortina, Milan, 2011).
MEDIA INTERVIEWS AND PUBLIC DISSEMINATION
Psicologia del cattivi soggetti, with Stefano Iacone, RTN TV, 11 February 2021.
L’amore: malattia curabile, interview by Gino Ceschina for RSI – Radiotelevisione Svizzera, 14 February 2019.
Radio Capodistria, hosted by Corinne Brenko, La scienza dell’innamoramento, 15 February 2018.
Interview with Domenica Bruni on Amor, ch’a nullo amato… amar bestiale, fifth issue of Animot (edited by D. Bruni and M. Ferraguti), GraphoMania – Graphe.it, 20 June 2016.
Striscia Filosofica on liberi.tv, hosted by Leonardo Caffo in collaboration with Luca Taddio / Mimesis Edizioni, 24 May 2013. Guests: Domenica Bruni and Maria Grazia Turri. Topic: Manifesto per un nuovo femminismo.
Spazio Life on liberi.tv, hosted by Giovanna Devetag, Secretary of the Radical Anti-speciesist Association Parte in causa, 19 April 2013. Discussion of Like me? Mente e diritti negli altri animali.
Striscia Filosofica on liberi.tv, hosted by Leonardo Caffo in collaboration with Luca Taddio / Mimesis Edizioni, 25 January 2012. Guest: Domenica Bruni. Topic: Politici sfigurati. Comunicazione politica e scienza cognitiva.
RAI RadioUno, Benfatto (hosts: Lorenzo Opice and Annalisa Manduca), 12 October 2012. Discussion on simplicity of life, social relationships, and love.
RAI RadioUno, Benfatto (hosts: Lorenzo Opice and Annalisa Manduca), 15 November 2012. Discussion on habits and everyday routines based on Doxa research.
Radio Interland, Flatus Vocis, 12 January 2012 – Love and Cognitive Science. Discussion on love, biology, and contemporary research in cognitive science.
Languages
Italian: native speaker.
English: good command of written and spoken English.
Digital Skills
Excellent command of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel), digital communication tools, academic platforms, social media management, and online teaching environments.
Additional Professional Activities
From 2005 to 2007 – Contributor to the Calabrian regional newspaper Il Domani.
From 7 January to 5 March 2006 – Collaboration in communication and educational activities for the exhibition Luigi Di Sarro – L’anatomia dell’arte, Lamezia Terme (Catanzaro).
Academic Year 2004–2005 – Classroom tutor at the Degree Programme in Philosophy and Communication Sciences, University of Calabria.
From 2003 to 2005 – Technical data-entry support within the development of the Quality System, University of Calabria.
From 8 November 2004 to 8 February 2005 – Technical IT support assistant for the Degree Programme in Philosophy and Communication Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Philosophy, University of Calabria.
From 2003 to 2004 – Peer tutoring activities at the Degree Programme in Philosophy and Communication Sciences, University of Calabria.
Research Interests
Philosophy of language; pragmatics; cognitive science; philosophy of mind; evolutionary psychology; emotions and affective cognition; communication and political language; storytelling; gender studies; sexuality and attraction; artificial intelligence; virtual relationships; anthropomorphism; embodied cognition; clinical pragmatics; consciousness studies; philosophy of technology; animal studies.
Concepts (2)
Keywords (4)
EVOLUZIONSIMO
FILOSOFIA DELLA MENTE
LINGUAGGIO
PSICOLOGIA EVOLUZIONISTICA
No Results Found
Publications (73)
Awards and honors
Fondo per il finanziamento delle attività base di ricerca FFABR 2017,
conferred by Ministero dell’istruzione, dell’università e della ricerca - 2018
No Results Found
Third Mission (20)
Organizzazione di iniziative di valorizzazione, consultazione e condivisione della ricerca (Responsabile scientifico)
- PLURALISMI. Riflessioni su Corpi, Politiche e Rappresentazioni di genere
Dipartimento COSPECS (21/03/2024 - 27/06/2024) 20240321
Dipartimento di Scienze cognitive, psicologiche, pedagogiche e degli studi culturali
Dipartimento di Civiltà antiche e moderne
Organizzazione di iniziative di valorizzazione, consultazione e condivisione della ricerca (Partecipante)
- MEDNIGHT - La Notte Mediterranea delle Ricercatrici ed. 2023
Rettorato dell'Università degli Studi di Messina (29/09/2023 - 29/09/2023) 20230929
Dipartimento di Scienze cognitive, psicologiche, pedagogiche e degli studi culturali
Dipartimento di Patologia Umana dell'adulto e dell'età evolutiva "Gaetano Barresi"
Dipartimento di Scienze biomediche, odontoiatriche e delle immagini morfologiche e funzionali
Dipartimento di Civiltà antiche e moderne
Dipartimento di Economia
Dipartimento di Ingegneria
Dipartimento di Scienze matematiche e informatiche, scienze fisiche e scienze della terra
Dipartimento di Scienze politiche e giuridiche
Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale
Dipartimento di Giurisprudenza
Dipartimento di Scienze chimiche, biologiche, farmaceutiche e ambientali
Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie
Organizzazione di concerti, spettacoli teatrali, rassegne cinematografiche, eventi sportivi, mostre, esposizioni e altri eventi di pubblica utilità aperti alla comunità (Partecipante)
- Tavola rotonda "Per una pedagogia del viaggio"
Dipartimento Cospecs - Università degli Studi di Messina (19/12/2019 - 19/12/2019) 20191219
Dipartimento di Scienze cognitive, psicologiche, pedagogiche e degli studi culturali
Dipartimento di Civiltà antiche e moderne
Attività di coinvolgimento e interazione con il mondo della scuola (Organizzatore/Organizzatrice)
- Componete della commissione per la selezione regionale della XXVII edizione delle Olimpiadi di Filosofia.
Messina (21/03/2019 - ) 20190321
Dipartimento di Civiltà antiche e moderne
Altre iniziative di Public Engagement (Organizzatore/Organizzatrice)
- Intervista radiofonica
Radiotelevisione Svizzera (14/02/2019 - 14/02/2019) 20190214
Dipartimento di Civiltà antiche e moderne
Organizzazione di concerti, spettacoli teatrali, rassegne cinematografiche, eventi sportivi, mostre, esposizioni e altri eventi di pubblica utilità aperti alla comunità (Organizzatore/Organizzatrice)
- Darwin day.
Dipartimento di Scienze cognitive (Unime) (12/02/2019 - 12/02/2019) 20190212
Dipartimento di Civiltà antiche e moderne
Organizzazione di concerti, spettacoli teatrali, rassegne cinematografiche, eventi sportivi, mostre, esposizioni e altri eventi di pubblica utilità aperti alla comunità (Organizzatore/Organizzatrice)
- The Night of Philosophy.
Palermo. (20/10/2018 - 20/10/2018) 20181020
Dipartimento di Scienze cognitive, psicologiche, pedagogiche e degli studi culturali
Altre iniziative di Public Engagement (Organizzatore/Organizzatrice)
- Intervista radiofonica.
Radio Capodistria (15/02/2018 - 15/02/2018) 20180215
Dipartimento di Scienze cognitive, psicologiche, pedagogiche e degli studi culturali
Altre iniziative di Public Engagement (Organizzatore/Organizzatrice)
- Intervista web tv
GraphoMania - Graphe.it (20/06/2016 - 20/06/2016) 20160620
Dipartimento di Scienze cognitive, psicologiche, pedagogiche e degli studi culturali
Giornate organizzate di formazione alla comunicazione - rivolta a PTA o docenti (Organizzatore/Organizzatrice)
- Ciclo di seminari "Filosofia e scienza cognitiva"
19000101
Dipartimento di Civiltà antiche e moderne
Altre iniziative di Public Engagement (Organizzatore/Organizzatrice)
- Intervista RAI RadioUno, "Benfatto" (conduttori: Lorenzo Opice e Annalisa Manduca), 12 ottobre 2012
19000101
Altre iniziative di Public Engagement (Organizzatore/Organizzatrice)
- Intervista RAI RadioUno, "Benfatto".
19000101
Altre iniziative di Public Engagement (Organizzatore/Organizzatrice)
- Intervista fatta al direttore del Centro Regionale Recupero Fauna Selvatica di Ficuzza.
19000101
Altre iniziative di Public Engagement (Organizzatore/Organizzatrice)
- Intervista per la rivista Wired
19000101
Attività di coinvolgimento e interazione con il mondo della scuola (Organizzatore/Organizzatrice)
- Membro dei direttivo della Società Filosofica Italiana (sezione di Palermo)
19000101
Dipartimento di Civiltà antiche e moderne
Pubblicazione e gestione di siti web e altri canali social di comunicazione e divulgazione scientifica (Organizzatore/Organizzatrice)
- Membro onorario della piattaforma digitale open-source “Scuola di Terza Generazione"
19000101
Dipartimento di Civiltà antiche e moderne
Organizzazione di iniziative di valorizzazione, consultazione e condivisione della ricerca (Responsabile scientifico)
- Pluralismi. Riflessioni su corpi, politiche e rappresentazioni di genere
19000101
Dipartimento di Scienze cognitive, psicologiche, pedagogiche e degli studi culturali
Organizzazione di concerti, spettacoli teatrali, rassegne cinematografiche, eventi sportivi, mostre, esposizioni e altri eventi di pubblica utilità aperti alla comunità (Organizzatore/Organizzatrice)
- Proiezione del film su Stefano Cucchi, "Sulla mia pelle"
19000101
Dipartimento di Scienze cognitive, psicologiche, pedagogiche e degli studi culturali
Altre iniziative di Public Engagement (Organizzatore/Organizzatrice)
- presentazione libro web tv
19000101
No Results Found
Courses (3)
6 CFU
36 hours
12 CFU
72 hours
6 CFU
36 hours
No Results Found