In an emerging new world filled with powerful technology, the research of Philosophy Professor Rajiv Kaushik — from Brock to the Panthéon-Sorbonne University in France, Florence and beyond — is having a global impact.

Specializing in Maurice Merleau-Ponty, a 20th^–century French philosopher focused on phenomenology, Kaushik investigates the role of human perception in experiencing the world.

Put broadly, “philosophy is thinking about thinking, and this is very relevant to current discussions about artificial intelligence (AI) and fears that machines will eventually think for us,” Kaushik said.

As current Director of the International Symposium of Phenomenology held annually in Perugia, Italy, and General Co-Editor and Managing Co-Editor of trilingual journal Chiasmi International: Contemporary Phenomenology and Merleau-Ponty Studies, Kaushik’s scholarship is at the forefront of continental (Western) philosophy studies.

“One of the things I write most about is the intersections between art and human reflection. This isn’t just a philosophy about art, but the opposite — how art can encapsulate philosophical ideas,” he said.

According to Kaushik, Merleau-Ponty referred to the arts, like cinema and literature, as philosophy because they explore the limits and possibilities of human thinking.

It’s an idea that sparked interest for media artist Zack Sievers (MA ’14) whose films have been met with international acclaim and screened at Ljubljana’s Museum of Modern Art in Slovenia as well as film festivals in Europe and North America.

With a background in political science, Sievers found himself drawn to philosophy when he arrived at Brock for graduate studies and enrolled in courses taught by Kaushik and Associate Professor of Philosophy Athena Coleman.

At the time, Sievers had just completed his first film, Closed Frame — an existential horror movie that was screened at the University.

“I loved that Brock supported me as filmmaker as well as a student,” he said. “My film was screened in the theatre, and I was able to engage with the audience. I have always been grateful for that opportunity.”

During his time at Brock and doctoral studies at Villanova University, Sievers identified a gap in the philosophy of cinema: people who were writing about cinema weren’t making cinema.

“Cinema critics were separated from the production process in crucial ways, and I explored how one might separate the notion of a ‘traditional critic’ from existing film theories,” Sievers said.

He wanted to create new theories of cinema from within cinema; theories that could inspire new filmmaking practices.

Kaushik said philosophy, at its core, is a training ground for developing this kind of thinking.

“This requires separation from your beliefs, and that is critical thinking. It’s a practice that introduces space into the mind, so you can separate yourself from your beliefs and gain an ability to wonder about what grounds those thoughts and question the reason for them,” Kaushik said.

These philosophical questions inform creative choices Sievers makes as a cinematographer, editor and director, such as using hand-held camera techniques and manual focus.

He recently gave a talk at the International Merleau-Ponty Circle about his creative work on Inventor on Earth, an avant-garde performance piece directed by Slovenian philosopher and artist Bara Kolenc.

“Learning from Professor Kaushik about phenomenology and Merleau-Ponty helped prepare me to invent overexposed cinematography aesthetics with Kolenc for her project,” Sievers said.

Upcoming works by Sievers include directing the feature Slovene mockumentary The Good Curse of Bird Mummy Moon starring Bara Kolenc and Leja Jurišić (2025), and designing a music videography with drummer Gustavo Cortiñas’ for The Crisis Knows No Borders (2025).