Matthew Shea, Ph.D.

Matthew Shea is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Bioethics. Before coming to Baylor, he held academic positions as a professor of philosophy and professor of medical ethics, and clinical positions as an ethics consultant and ethics committee member. He specializes in moral philosophy (especially normative ethical theory) and bioethics (especially clinical health care ethics). His current research focuses on natural law/virtue ethics, the philosophical foundations of bioethics, end-of-life ethics, and vulnerable patient populations.

Education:

• Postdoctoral Fellowship in Clinical Ethics, UCLA, 2020
• Ph.D., Philosophy, Saint Louis University, 2018
• B.A., Philosophy, Boston College, 2009

Select Publications:

• The Emerging Tradition of Bioethics: Morality in an Age of Pluralism, Postmodernism, and Polarization (with Abram Brummett and Jason T. Eberl) (Routledge, forthcoming).
• God and Happiness (Cambridge University Press, 2024).
• “The Value of Life: A Natural Law Account.” The Journal of Ethics 30:2 (2026): 261–284.
• “The Ethical Standard for End-of-Life Decisions for Unrepresented Patients.” American Journal of Bioethics 25:9 (2025): 74–85.
• “The Ethics of Clinical Ethics.” HEC Forum 37 (2025): 389­–410.