cv philosophy spring 2016
TRANSCRIPT
Shelly J. Johnson
Johnson Page 1
Curriculum Vita
Work Address Home Address
University of Kentucky 1273 Golden Gate Park
Department of Philosophy Lexington, KY 40517
Lexington, KY 40506
Phone: (859) 272-2010 Email: [email protected]
______________________________________________________________________________
Areas of Specialization Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy, Early Modern Philosophy
Areas of Competency Ancient Philosophy, Applied Ethics, Asian Philosophy, Critical Thinking, Critical Theory
__________________________________________________________________________
Language Experience
Advanced Greek
Advanced Latin
Intermediate Spanish
Basic French
Education
2016 University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
Ph.D. in Philosophy (pending Spring 2016)
Advisor: Arnold Farr
Dissertation: “A Pedagogy for Justice: Kant, Hegel,
Marcuse and Freire on Education and the Good
Society”
2003-2006 Covenant College, Lookout Mountain, GA
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership (Spring 2006)
1994 Malone University, Canton, OH
B.A. in Secondary English Education
Awards
April 2015, College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award
March 2015, Philosophy Department Outstanding Teaching Award
Shelly J. Johnson
Johnson Page 2
Publications
“Quo Vadis: Charting a Path in Turbulent Times: A Review of Crisis and Commonwealth.”
Radical Philosophy Journal, Volume 18, Number 1 (2015): 165-168.
Publications on Pedagogy
*Secondary logic and critical thinking textbooks and articles written before graduate school
2016, Everyday Debate (released April 2016), Classical Academic Press
2011, “A Socratic Invitation: Becoming an Artisan of Thought,” Classical Academic Press
2011, “Introducing Students to Socratic Dialogue and Learning,” Classical Academic Press
2010, Discovery of Deduction (Co-Author), Classical Academic Press
2008, Argument Builder, Classical Academic Press
Presentations at National and International Conferences
November 2015, “Marcuse and Freire on Pedagogy, Hope and Our Instinct for Solidarity.”
Fall 2015 of Biennial Herbert Marcuse Society Conference, Salisbury University,
Salisbury, MD.
November 2014, “Subversive Play in Totalitarian Spaces: Disrupting the One-Dimensional
Classroom.” Fall 2014 Meeting of Radical Philosophy Conference, Stony Brook
University, NY.
October 2013, “Review of Charles Reitz’s book Crisis and Commonwealth.” Fall 2013 Meeting
of Biennial Herbert Marcuse Society Conference, University of Kentucky, Lexington,
KY.
October 2013, “Marcuse and Freire on Liberating Praxis.” Fall 2013 Meeting of Biennial Herbert
Marcuse Society Conference, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.
Presentations at Local Conferences/Workshops
June 2013, “My Happiness and Yours: The Crucial Role Happiness Plays in Kant’s Account
of the Virtuous and Moral Life.” Summer 2013 Meeting of the Kentucky Philosophical
Association Summer Writing Workshop, Centre College, Danville, KY.
December 2012, “Marxian Reflections on Ending the Apprenticeship to
Alienation: Overcoming School Violence by Practicing Humane Pedagogy.” Fall 2012
Whither Marxism Conference, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.
Shelly J. Johnson
Johnson Page 3
May 2011, “Maieusis and Transgression: The Role of the Other in the Dialectic of Plato and
Hegel.” Spring 2011 Meeting of Occasional Daniel Boone Conference, University of
Kentucky, Lexington, KY.
Commentaries
March 2014, Commentator on Drew Van’t Land, “Interrupting the Instru-Mentality:
How Hegel and Arendt Shift from the Economic to the Political.” 17th Annual Philosophy
Graduate School Conference, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.
Chaired Panels
November 2014, “Praxis, Strategy and Prefiguration.” Fall 2014 Radical Philosophy
Association Conference, Stony Brook University, Long Island, NY.
Teaching Experience
Instructor, University of Kentucky
Problems of Knowledge and Reality (PHI 100) Fall 2013, Spring 2015
Introductory Logic (PHI 120) Spring 2012
Introduction to Ethics (PHI 130) Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Fall 2015
Philosophy of Human Nature (PHI 310) Spring 2015
Business Ethics, Online (PHI 334) Summer 2016*
Asian Philosophy (PHI 343) Summer 2014 and 2015
Individual and Society (Phi 335) Spring 2016*
Teaching Assistant or Grader, University of Kentucky
Introductory Logic (PHI 120) Fall 2010, Spring 2011
Individual and Society (PHI 335) Fall 2011
Asian Philosophy (PHI 343) Fall 2011, Fall 2012
Academic Service
2014-2015 Organizer of first departmental Comprehensive Exam Strategy and Mentoring
Session
Annual University of Kentucky Philosophy Graduate School Conference
Coordinator
Vice President of the Philosophy Graduate Students Association
2013-2014 Women in Philosophy Activity Coordinator
Shelly J. Johnson
Johnson Page 4
Seminars
Kantian Ethics Stefan Bird-Pollan
Parmenides, Theaetetus, Sophist Eric Sanday
The Phenomenology of Spirit Dan Breazeale
Medieval Philosophy David Bradshaw
Heidegger’s Being and Time Natalie Nenadic
Eastern and Western Marxism Arnold Farr
Kantian Idealism Stefan Bird-Pollan
Hegelian Ethics Stefan Bird-Pollan
Ethics: Kant, Fichte and Hegel Dan Breazeale
Fichte Dan Breazeale
Graduate Course Work
Critical Social Theory Arnold Farr
Phenomenology and Power of Place Omer Aygun
The Republic and Aristotle’s Politics Eric Sanday
Nietzsche and the Greeks David Bradshaw
Symbolic Logic: Metalogic Meg Wallace
Independent Study
Social and Political Philosophy David Bradshaw
Aristotelian Virtue Ethics David Bradshaw
Hegel, Marcuse, Freire and Social Transformation Arnold Farr
Greek and Latin Reading Groups
Herodotus (Greek translation) Amy Clark
Aquinas’ Summa Theologica (Latin translation) David Bradshaw
Additional Professional Experience
2013-2015, Schole Academy, Online course designer and instructor for Argument Builder:
Persuasive Writing.
2008-2009, Bluegrass United Academic Center (Lexington, KY), secondary logic, Latin and
writing instructor.
Shelly J. Johnson
Johnson Page 5
2005-2008, Trinity Christian Academy (Lexington, KY), middle school principal.
1996-2005, Trinity Christian Academy (Lexington, KY), secondary humanities and
logic teacher.
1997-2003, Trinity Christian Academy (Lexington, KY), curriculum design committee.
1994-1996, RLC Academy (Salem, Ohio), English teacher.
Spring 1994, Cross-cultural Student Teaching Experience, Collegio Americano, Guatemala City
Guatemala.
References
Arnold Farr
Professor of Philosophy
University of Kentucky
859-257-9414
Dan Breazeale
Professor of Philosophy
University of Kentucky
859-257-4376
Stefan Bird-Pollan
Assistant Professor of Philosophy
University of Kentucky
(859) 257-1862
Natalie Nenadic
Assistant Professor of Philosophy
(859) 257-1862
Shelly J. Johnson
Johnson Page 6
Dissertation Title: “A Pedagogy for Justice: Kant, Hegel, Marcuse and Freire on Education and
the Good Society”
Advisor: Arnold Farr
Committee Members: Dan Breazeale, Stefan Bird-Pollan, and Richard D’Angelo
Dissertation Abstract: Rousseau’s educational treatise Emile is a well-known pedagogical
work often noted for its progressive educational insights. Although Kant’s Lectures on Pedagogy
is much less well known, Kant suggests a solution to an educational problem Rousseau is unable
to solve: the problem of whether or not education can work for the good of humanity. Rousseau
is concerned that society, and the schools in society, inflames people’s passions and leads to
inequality and enslavement. Rousseau sketches an educational program that ideally develops
students’ autonomous moral reasoning untainted by inflamed passion, an education which
enables students to be moral and just citizens, working for the good of humanity. I argue that
Rousseau’s educational philosophy ultimately fails because Rousseau maintains a deep
skepticism that society, and therefore schools, can ever be a good place for humans. Rousseau
suggests education must go to extreme measures such as isolating students in a rural environment
and manipulating all aspects of their lives to prevent passions from becoming inflamed.
Implementing this kind of education is not only improbable for individual students; it is
especially improbable that it could be implemented on a large scale.
I further argue that Kant’s educational philosophy provides a solution to the problems which
beset Rousseau’s educational philosophy. Kant embraces negative passions as necessarily
educative, and so his educational philosophy does not require extreme measures to combat
negative passion. In addition, Kant argues that is only in society and through these negative
passions that humanity develops. Kant’s educational philosophy is achievable for both the
individual student and also on a large scale because it focuses on developing three key aspects of
students that draw on capacities within the student and that are developed in community with
others: a robust, will bent towards the good; good and skilled moral judgment; and a
commitment to the ethical commonwealth. Lastly, I argue that Hegel, Marcuse and Freire, three
philosophers who follow after Kant, develop important aspects of Kant’s solution to Rousseau’s
problem. Taken together, these four philosophers present a compelling educational philosophy
which suggests that education not only can but indeed must work for the good of humanity.