Leigh M. Johnson

Can You Hear Me Now?

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Obama, Philosophy, Politics 6 Comments

Over at anotherpanacea, there’s a really fascinating and mature consideration of what AnPan calls “Critique in the Age of Hope.” The basic concern underlying AnPan’s essay, as I read it, is that the general ethos of good-will and hope that has accompanied President Obama into the White House might find its expression in an unwitting…

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Score One for the Big Guys

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Sports Comments Off on Score One for the Big Guys

For those of you who missed Super Bowl XLIII last night between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals, it was one for the books. Pittsburgh came out on top with an impressive last-2-minutes drive into the red zone, culminating in a double-take where wide receiver Santonio Holmes first missed–then caught– a touchdown pass from…

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If It Looks Like a Science, Walks Like a Science, and Quacks Like a Science…

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Philosophy, Politics, Teaching 2 Comments

… then it must be a duck. Beginning today, my Philosophy of Race class will be learning about the first theorists of eugenics, an early 20th C. pseudo-science that (in the words of one of its founders and leading proponents, Sir Francis Galton) studied “all agencies under human control which can improve or impair the…

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Brother, Can You Spare a Pancreas?

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Philosophy, Politics 6 Comments

Despite the questionable and declining quality of my internal parts, I am registered as an organ donor. Every few years, when I go to renew my drivers license, this decision seems like a no-brainer. Now, I’ll admit that it may be the case that my organ-altruism is really motivated by self-interest, since I am a…

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The Muselmann

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Philosophy, Politics 1 Comment

Perhaps one of the most ethically challenging, and truly heartwrenching, figures of contemporary (by which I mean, post-WWII) philosophy is that of the Muselmann. The word Muselmann literally means “Muslim” (“one who submits to God”), but is used to refer to prisoners of Nazi concentration camps who had become so destitute and dehumanized as to…

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Nominations for Secretary of Culture?

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Dr. J's Lists, Politics, Pop Culture/Film, Pop Culture/Film/Literature 9 Comments

Last night at the 51st Grammy Awards, the Recording Academy President Neil Portnow extended a long-overdue appeal to President Obama when he said: “Our finest national treasure is our culture in the arts, so it’s time that we acknowledged that fact with the creation of the Cabinet position of Secretary of the Arts.” How right…

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Speaking of Philosophy

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Philosophy, Teaching 2 Comments

The picture to the left there is from my dissertation defense party, which took place at a much-beloved dive bar in Philadelphia (Oscar’s Tavern) where I have imbibed almost equal amounts of libations and philosophical conversation. As a matter of fact, this setting (and settings very much like it) is about my favorite mise-en-scène for…

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No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Memphis, Philosophy 4 Comments

And, in this case, the “good deed” was my pedagogical experiment with (now, regular practice of) blogging in the classroom. I’ve been featured on The Dean’s Blog: Celebrating Teaching and Learning at my college, in a story hyperbolically entitled “Philosophy in the 21st Century.” I am, of course, really honored by the recognition… so, what’s…

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There Are No Stupid Questions

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Open Source Pedagogy, Philosophy, Teaching 4 Comments

When I was an undergraduate, I remember one of my (English Lit) professors saying on the first day of class: “There is no such thing as a stupid question.” Obviously, this was a warm-and-fuzzy attempt to impart some measure of confidence to students, to encourage us to voice our questions and concerns without reservation, and…

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File This Under “Jane Doe”

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Politics 1 Comment

It’s not often that I post on something about which I have genuine ambivalence, but here’s one: medical records. Last week, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), one of the goals of which is to encourage the adoption of electronic medical records by doctors and hospitals. At present, medical…

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