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Education

• BA, Cornell University (1962)
• MA, University of Toronto (1964)
• PhD, University of Toronto (1970)

My approach to philosophy

An eclectic approach to philosophical thinking and a dedication to reaching a broader audience beyond academic circles are characteristic of my work.  I was trained in both analytical and Continental traditions and value them both and their complex interactions.

Special interests

Major areas of research, teaching, and ongoing research: Nineteenth-Century European Philosophy, Existentialism, Environmental Philosophy (including Ethics and Nonhuman Animals and Philosophy of Vegetarianism), Philosophy of Peace, and History of Ideas.   

Teaching

I taught the above subjects (and several others) at Queen’s from 1966-2005, when I was among the last cohort subject to mandatory retirement at age 65.  No one ever taught us how to teach or gave any mentorship in this regard.  I was not a “born teacher,” but learned on the job, and I think I got steadily better at it. I think my classroom was a comfortable space in which students felt they were respected equals who could confidently express themselves.  One thing you don’t realize until you are in the thick of things is how much you learn from your students.  I am very grateful to them for what they have taught me over the years and for their friendship, and I applaud their successes in life.

Other activities/honours

Adjunct Professor of Humanities, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia (2004-25).  Recipient of 8 Research Awards from University of New England (2004-14).  James Martineau Memorial Lecturer, University of Tasmania (1996).  Funded Visiting Fellow, Australian National University (1987).  Editor/Co-Editor, Queen’s Quarterly: A Canadian Review (1976-86), Canada’s oldest general-interest intellectual journal.  I have delivered papers and talks across Canada and the United States, and also in Russia, Australia, and Taiwan.  In addition, I’ve done over 80 interviews and special features on TV, radio, online, and in print.

Publications

I have authored 7 books, edited/co-edited 2 others, contributed to a number of anthologies and encyclopedias, and published more than 100 articles and 50 book reviews on a wide variety of subjects.  

Monographs

• Fate and Life: Who's Really in Charge? (Montréal: McGill-����ֱ�� Press, 2024).

            In Fate and Life I confront the idea of fate head on and demonstrate that the way in which we interpret and apply this concept can make it work for rather than against us. Thinking about fate teaches us about who we are, how we see the world, and our evaluation of the possibilities of life.

                Fate and Life is now widely available and can be ordered from McGill-����ֱ�� Press in Canada or from the University of Chicago Press in the US.

            It can also be found wherever quality books are sold worldwide, and at Amazon.com, where other books of mine may also be found.

          I have summarized my views on fate and life in an essay published in the Australian edition of The Conversation (please click on website below).

• Home: A Very Short Introduction.  Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016.  (Translated into Simplified Chinese & Vietnamese.)

• Understanding Peace: A Comprehensive Introduction.  New York: Routledge, 2014

• The Remarkable Existentialists.  Amherst, NY: Humanity/Prometheus Books, 2009.
• The Accessible Hegel.  Amherst, NY: Humanity/Prometheus Books, 2005.
• Deep Vegetarianism.  Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1999.  (Translated into Chinese & Simplified Chinese.) 
• The Case for Animal Experimentation: An Evolutionary and Ethical Perspective.  Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1986; paperback ed., 1988.

Edited collections

• Nuclear War: Philosophical Perspectives.  (Co-Editor, contributor.)  New York: Peter Lang, 1985; 2nd ed., 1987.
• Schopenhauer: His Philosophical Achievement.  (Editor, contributor.)  Brighton, Sussex: Harvester Press; Totowa, NJ: Barnes & Noble, 1980.

Other information

I have a page at LinkedIn.com and a Wikipedia entry on me can be found at:  .