This piece is the culmination of years of researching and thinking about public philosophy. If you know me, you know that “America’s Public Philosopher” was John Dewey. Elements of this piece will show up in my introduction for a collection of Dewey’s public writings that I am finishing up.
Abstract
This article argues for a definition of public philosophy inspired by John Dewey’s understanding of the “supreme intellectual obligation.” The first section examines five strong reasons why more public philosophy is needed and why the growing movement in public philosophy should be encouraged. The second section begins with a review of common understandings of public philosophy as well as some initial challenges that call for widening our conception of the practice. Then, it applies Dewey’s argument in “The Supreme Intellectual Obligation” to public philosophy, which must not be seen simply as a one-way street from intellectuals to the masses but, rather, as the task of fostering the scientific attitude and intellectual habits of mind in all citizens.
Believe it or not, I follow the advice in this video every day. It’s brilliantly simple. It’s also serious. If each of us were really to make a little effort of this kind, the impact would be enormous. It saves on paper use, which cuts down on costs, and it slows the growth of landfills, one hand-washing at a time.
Good people won’t be willing to rule for the sake of either money or honor… Now, the greatest punishment, if one isn’t willing to rule, is to be ruled by someone worse than oneself. And I think that it’s fear of this that makes decent people rule when they do.
Plato Republic
(Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Classics, 2004), Book I, 347b–c.
“The Law and Morality”
by Cherita Brown, Richard Gershon, and Eric Thomas Weber
This is the interview I gave Cherita Brown of Mississippi Public Broadcasting, MS’s NPR affiliate, and Professor Richard Gershon of the University of Mississippi School of Law on the relationship between the law and morality. Cherita also interviewed me about my forthcoming book, Uniting Mississippi: Democracy and Leadership in the South.
I hope to joint them again soon, as I had a great time. This is just one example of the collaborations I’ve enjoyed with the School of Law at the university, now that I’m an affiliate faculty member there.
Presentation:
“A Culture of Support and Merit: Promoting Independence without Stigmatizing Dependency”
Abstract:
In ACultureof Justice, I argue that a society has a shared, public obligation to foster self-respect anda sense of positive power in all people. Libertarians like Robert Nozick deny that there is a shared obligation to provide people the means to develop and exercise their self-respect, such as free and reduced lunch programs. While the libertarian is right to value the cultivation of independence, he is wrong, I argue, to stigmatize people who must depend upon government support. I propose a way to advance acultureofsupportandmerit, promoting independence without stigmatizing dependency.
If you're interested in having me come speak with your group, visit my Speaking page.
Looking forward to visiting folks at the Clinton School for Public Service at the University of Arkansas, in Little Rock, where I’ll be talking about Uniting Mississippi: Democracy and Leadership in the South.
Uniting Mississippi applies a new, philosophically informed theory of democratic leadership to Mississippi’s challenges. Governor William F. Winter has written a foreword for the book, supporting its proposals.
The book begins with an examination of Mississippi’s apparent Catch-22, namely the difficulty of addressing problems of poverty without fixing issues in education first, and vice versa. These difficulties can be overcome if we look at their common roots, argues Eric Thomas Weber, and if we practice virtuous democratic leadership. Since the approach to addressing poverty has for so long been unsuccessful, Weber reframes the problem. The challenges of educational failure reveal the extent to which there is a caste system of schooling. Certain groups of people are trapped in schools that are underfunded and failing. The ideals of democracy reject hierarchies of citizenship, and thus, the author contends, these ideals are truly tested in Mississippi. Weber offers theories of effective leadership in general and of democratic leadership in particular to show how Mississippi’s challenges could be addressed with the guidance of common values.
The book draws on insights from classical and contemporary philosophical outlooks on leadership, which highlight four key social virtues: wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice. Within this framework, the author approaches Mississippi’s problems of poverty and educational frustration in a novel way that is applicable in and beyond the rural South. Weber brings to bear each of the virtues of democratic leadership on particular problems, with some overarching lessons and values to advance. The author’s editorial essays are included in the appendix as examples of engaging in public inquiry for the sake of democratic leadership.
“I am often in conversation with groups and individuals around the state who are working hard to improve the lives of Mississippians. Some of the greatest needs in that work are an understanding of our history, the need for a common language to describe where we are in that history, and the creation of a community of practice that shares best practices and ideas. Dr. Weber’s book is an excellent start for supporting this crucial work.”
— Susan Glisson, executive director of the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation at the University of Mississippi
“This book is the beginning of a desperately needed conversation in Mississippi about the future of the state. It addresses an issue that nearly everyone is aware of–the need for high quality education for Mississippians–with an understanding that it must precede rather than flow from economic growth. Anyone interested in education policy in Mississippi should read and consider the case for education in this book.”
— Robert Mellen, Jr., assistant professor and undergraduate coordinator at Mississippi State University
“Weber moved here eight years ago to teach at the University of Mississippi. Trained in philosophy, he teaches public policy and has mined thinkers ancient and contemporary — particularly Plato and John Dewey — to develop his definition of good leadership. ‘Judicious yet courageous guidance,’ he puts it, a definition from which he draws four cardinal virtues: wisdom, courage, unity and justice. Those are big words, almost fuzzy in their scope. What leader, after all, wouldn’t want some wisdom? But, chapter by chapter, Weber describes the public policies that should emerge from such virtuous beginnings, and the contrast between theory and practice reveals a shortage of each virtue in our local politics.”
— Boyce Upholt, The Clarion Ledger, December 20, 2015.
This piece is the culmination of years of researching and thinking about public philosophy. If you know me, you know that “America’s Public Philosopher” was John Dewey. Elements of this piece will show up in my introduction for a collection of Dewey’s public writings that I am finishing up.
This is the interview I gave Cherita Brown of Mississippi Public Broadcasting, MS’s NPR affiliate, and Professor Richard Gershon of the University of Mississippi School of Law on the relationship between the law and morality. Cherita also interviewed me about my forthcoming book, Uniting Mississippi: Democracy and Leadership in the South.
I hope to joint them again soon, as I had a great time. This is just one example of the collaborations I’ve enjoyed with the School of Law at the university, now that I’m an affiliate faculty member there.