Dr. Andrew Mills

September 8, 2016

3:00 PM

Phelps-Stokes Auditorium

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In the charged political environment of the U.S., it is easy to forget that the term “liberal” in “liberal arts” refers not to a political position, but to “liberty” or  “freedom.” Dr. Mills, a Philosophy professor at Otterbein University, will argue that appreciating the value of a liberal arts education rests on recognizing the many ways freedom lies at the heart of what happens in college.

 

 

 

Come check out these books at the Hutchins Library convocation display!

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Titles featuring the writings of Andrew Mills:
 

The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy by William Irwin (Editor); Gregory Bassham (Editor)
Call # 823.914 U472 2010 (Location: Convo Display)
Publication Date: 2010
Chapter 7 -"Patriotism, House Loyalty, and the Obligations of Belonging"  - is by by Andrew Mills
 
 

Philosophy Through Teaching by Emily Esch (Editor); Kevin Hermberg (Editor); Rory E. Kraft (Editor)
call # 370.12 E744p 2014 (Location: Convo Display)
Publication Date: 2014
"Concepcion's Approach to Reading Philosophy: A LEsson on How, and Why, to Teach Essential Philosophical Skills" - commentary by Andrew Mills.
 

 
Also about the value of the Liberal Arts:
 
In Defense of a Liberal Education by Fareed Zakaria
Call Number: 370.112 Z216i 2015
Publication Date: 2015
The liberal arts are under attack. The governors of Florida, Texas, and North Carolina have all pledged that they will not spend taxpayer money subsidizing the liberal arts, and they seem to have an unlikely ally in President Obama. While at a General Electric plant in early 2014, Obama remarked, "I promise you, folks can make a lot more, potentially, with skilled manufacturing or the trades than they might with an art history degree." These messages are hitting home: majors like English and history, once very popular and highly respected, are in steep decline. "I get it," writes Fareed Zakaria, recalling the atmosphere in India where he grew up, which was even more obsessed with getting a skills-based education. However, the CNN host and best-selling author explains why this widely held view is mistaken and shortsighted. Zakaria eloquently expounds on the virtues of a liberal arts education--how to write clearly, how to express yourself convincingly, and how to think analytically.
 
Additional titles about Philosophy and Pop Culture:
 
The Simpsons and Philosophy by William Irwin (Editor); Mark T. Conard (Editor); Aeon J. Skoble (Editor)
Call Number: 100 S613
Publication Date: 2001
This unconventional and lighthearted introduction to the ideas of the major Western philosophers examines The Simpsons -- TV’s favorite animated family. The authors look beyond the jokes, the crudeness, the attacks on society -- and see a clever display of irony, social criticism, and philosophical thought. The writers begin with an examination of the characters. Does Homer actually display Aristotle’s virtues of character? In what way does Bart exemplify American pragmatism? The book also examines the ethics and themes of the show, and concludes with discussions of how the series reflects the work of Aristotle, Marx, Camus, Sartre, and other thinkers.

 

Steven Spielberg and Philosophy by Dean A. Kowalski (Editor)
Call Number: 791.4302 S755 2008
Publication Date: 2008
Has any film director had a greater impact on popular culture than Steven Spielberg? Whether filming Holocaust heroes and villains, soldiers, dinosaurs, extraterrestrials, or explorers in search of the Holy Grail, Spielberg has given filmgoers some of the most memorable characters and wrenching moments in the history of cinema. Whatever his subject -- war, cloning, slavery, terrorism, or adventure -- all of Spielberg's films have one aspect in common: a unique view of the moral fabric of humanity. Dean A. Kowalski's Steven Spielberg and Philosophy is like a remarkable conversation after a night at the movie theater, offering new insights and unexpected observations about the director's most admired films. Some of the nation's most respected philosophers investigate Spielberg's art, asking fundamental questions about the nature of humanity, cinema, and Spielberg's expression of his chosen themes. Applying various philosophical principles to the movies, the book explores such topics as the moral demands of parenthood in War of the Worlds; the ultimate unknowability of the "other" in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Schindler's List; the relationship between nature and morality in Jurassic Park; the notion of consciousness in A.I.: Artificial Intelligence; issues of war theory and ethics in Munich; and the foundation of human rights in Amistad.