Learn More About Robert Greenleaf Brice

In every class he teaches at Northern Kentucky University, Robert Greenleaf Brice tries to create an open environment—one that encourages student participation—while simultaneously shattering the myth that philosophers are only concerned with abstract thinking. This is a bit tricky, but by engaging students individually, Brice challenges them with contemporary, real-world issues, e.g., is it okay to use drones to kill terrorists...even if it means innocent people will die too? Is there a moral right to individual privacy if public safety is under attack? What are the characteristics that make a conscious entity conscious…and what sort of moral obligations/responsibilities do humans have to it? These sorts of questions drive Brice's passion for philosophy, and he is not shy about expressing his love for the discipline, either. Together, he and the students explore the implications these questions raise. Students are encouraged to do much more than express how they feel. Every class—from Introduction to Philosophy to Information Ethics—begins with a review of the basic rules of logic. Armed with a robust set of problem-solving tools, students then dive, headlong, into the often muddied philosophical pool of exploration. In all of Brice's classes, he emphasizes life skills: how to define a problem clearly; how to analyze, construct and deconstruct arguments (including their own); and, importantly, how to work together. Philosophy, ethics, and critical thinking do more than prepare one for thinking in the classroom, these areas of thought prepare students for their lives beyond college.