Joel Warren Lidz, Ph.D.

QUICKLINK TO MY ARTICLES

EDUCATION

1977-80 Harvard University
Studied pipe organ and classical Greek

1975-79 Tulane University, Ph.D. (Philosophy)
Thesis: "Plato's Parmenides: The Intellectualist Parodied"

1974-75 Penn State University, M.A. (Philosophy)
Thesis: "Kant's Noumenon, Transcendental Object and Thing in Itself"

1970-74 Penn State University, B.Ph. (Social Science/Philosophy)
Thesis: "Interdisciplinarity and Philosophical Anthropology"

1967-70 Wyoming Seminary Preparatory School, Kingston, PA

COURSES TAUGHT

Introductory Philosophy Introductory Logic Political Philosophy The Holocaust Contemporary Philosophy Ancient Philosophy Racism, Sexism, Speciesism

Ethical Theory Old Testament Justice and Rights Philosophy of Myth History of Ethics Applied Ethics History of Philosophy

ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE

Speaker/Writer/Representative:
     Anti-Defamation League; Cambridge Committee for Responsible Research

Consultant to Massachusetts Department of Education:
     Edited/prepared court-mandated report on desegregation in the Boston school system

Administrative Intern:
     Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs at Boston University

Co-Founder:
     Greater Boston Colloquium for Ancient Philosophy

WRITINGS

SCHOLARLY
Philosophy, Being and the Good (edited with introductions)
University Press of America, 1983

"Reflections on (and in) Plato's Cave"
Interpretation (vol. 21, 1993/94)

"Medicine as Metaphor in Plato"
Journal of Medicine and Philosophy (vol. 19, 1994)

"12 Angry Men"
Teaching Philosophy (vol. 18, 1995)

"Rethinking Plato's Crito "

"On Higher Education"

"On Affirmative Action"

"Plato's Parmenides"

"Music and Morals"

GENERAL
Pork Barrel Education: On the Lowering of Higher Education Standards
Createspace, 2011

"Jewish/Catholic Relations Today" "Extremist Groups in the U.S."

"On a Balanced Life"

"Heaven Help Pluralism"

LANGUAGES

GERMAN: Reading and Speaking
CLASSICAL GREEK: Reading

OTHER INTERESTS

Studied piano from the age of six and pipe organ from the age of fifteen at Penn State, Harvard and elsewhere.  My organ professors at Penn State were June Miller and James Case; at Harvard, Lenora McCroskey and Christa Rakich.  At Harvard I was priveleged to practice on two outstanding instruments:  the C.B. Fisk organ at Memorial Church and the Flentrop Organ of the Busch-Reisinger Museum, where E. Power Biggs made many of his famous recordings.  I have also played at the Cathedral of Spain (Seville), the Great Hall Cathedral of Ulm (Germany), and in Prague at St. Peter and Paul's Church and St. Francis Church (where Mozart once played).  To see beautiful photos of Prague click here and for my take on recordings of Bach's organ works, click here.

My Favorite Instrument Built by Christian Muller St. Bavo, Haarlem, Netherlands 1735-38

Click on image for blowup

Have been a frequent guest on Boston radio talk shows, discussing philosophical and social issues.

CURRICULUM DESIGN

Received Penn State's first Bachelor of Philosophy degree for having designed own curriculum, which combined study in the history and theory of social science and philosophy. 

MEMBERSHIPS

Americares
New England Conservatory
Boston Museum of Fine Arts
Boston Philharmonic
Animal Welfare Institute

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