In this picture I am running in the 1977 New York Marathon.  The marathon is a feat of endurance and an endurance of the feet (sorry, even philosophers make bad puns). The marathon traces it origins to the Ancient Greeks, who also introduced philosophy, which also requires an endurance of the mind and heart in moving toward the goal of wisdom. Whether running a marathon is harder than doing philosophy is an interesting question. The Greeks themselves tended to give rewards to athletes over philosophers. The story of Socrates and his fate as told by Plato in the Apology illustrates this point nicely.

 My Ph.D. thesis was on the American philosopher William James. I offer a course on his thought and times.  My career in philosophy has led me to do research, teach, write and present papers on traditional topics in ancient and medieval philosophy, and less traditional ones like medical ethics (a subject on which I have written a book, Medical Ethics: A Patient-Centered Approach) and the link between philosophy and autobiography.  Currently, I am doing research on the current state of higher education and philosophy’s place in it. I also am the Book Editor of Cross Currents.
 
 

Course Syllabi for the Spring 2000 Semester

Phl 210A Moral Philosophy
Phl 210B Moral Philosophy
Phl 210C Moral Philosophy

Web sites you might find interesting:

Everything you ever wanted to know about philosophy and more can be found at these sites:

Guide to philosophy on the internet
Philosophy Links

If you wish to put a face to the name of your favorite philosopher, you should try:

Pictures and images of philosophers

 What can you do with a degree in philosophy? Check out:

Vocational Opportunities for Philosophy Majors

If you wonder what professional philosophers are interested in, click on the site of their organization:

The American Philosophical Association

After all of that serious stuff, you might want to kick back and relax with philosophy's lighter side:

Philosophy Comics
Philosophical Humor

Finally, these sites offer useful guidelines for communicating on the Web:

E-mail etiquette
Netiquette Home Page
 
 

Please let me know what you think of my site. I am particularly interested in hearing from former students. My e-mail address is jgiles@iona.edu.