Those pensive-looking guys to the left are 20th C. philosophers Jean-Paul Sartre and Bertrand Russell. Although they come from different ends of the philosophical spectrum– existentialism and literature for Sartre, mathematical logic and analytic philosophy for Russell–they did share a passion for and commitment to the life of that long-lost animal, the engaged intellectual. It…
Read MoreFor 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…
Read MoreDespite 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…
Read More… 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…
Read MoreLast 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…
Read MorePerhaps 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…
Read MoreThe 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…
Read MoreWhen 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…
Read MoreAnd, 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…
Read MoreIt’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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