A few things to begin

Hey y’all:

I thought I would give some context for this blog and what I will use it for and what I will not use it for and why as a professional academic philosopher, I decided to blog.

First, this blog will be a way to explore in a briefer and rougher form than a conference presentation, journal article or book chapter, issues related to my areas of scholarship (military ethics, ethics in war, race, philosophy of law, business ethics, and philosophy more generally especially 17th-19th century philosophy), teaching and pedagogy and higher education.  Once in a while I will post on more personal matters like divorce, adoption, gender or whatever strikes my fancy, but these posts will have a decidedly philosophical flair.

Second, I am interested in your feedback, but as I do in my classes, there are expectations.  I expect that you will try and further discussion, ask good questions, explore lines of thought, criticize the content of what I said and refrain from personal insults or bullying.  I am philosopher and I am interested in questions, arguments and evidence.

Third, as a faculty member who has tenure and rank, I am cognizant of the power and responsibility that I have in a system which is unfair and problematic on many levels. (I spent 10+ years as a contingent faculty member.)  That said, I think that blogging and social media more generally presents all of us with a unique opportunity to engage one another, share ideas and hone our thoughts in a more public forum than is traditional in academia.  At the end of the day, I think this has the potential to produce better scholarship and wider engagement.  As a philosopher and a professor, I am committed to the intersection between scholarship and teaching/learning.

In true Socratic fashion, let the conversation commence!  First up: Interrogational Torture. (Did I mention that I like controversy????)