Philosophy
Areas of Specialty: Existential Phenomenology of Mindfulness, Philosophy of Mind (Mind-Body Theory). Consciousness
Areas of Interest: 4E Cognition/Integrated Information Theory, Philosophy of Law, Philosophy of Religion, and Socio-Political Philosophy
My undergraduate research at the SUNY College at Oswego, and with Albany’s philosophy graduate program, was structured around a life-long interest in consciousness, specifically the human phenomenological interaction with our world and how those elements shape our lives. Now an adjunct professor at Miami Dade College, I am also sharing the history of philosophy with a new generation. By understanding the varying philosophical approaches to life, also being a 21-year paralegal and interfaith minister since 2008, one can only deepen the instruction and knowledge offered to students.
Miami Dade College
Starting Spring 2023 ~ Honors Certified
Classes taught at Miami Dade College through MDC Live:
(PHI-2010) Introduction to Philosophy using Intro to Philosophy from OpenStax
Sample Syllabus available for download
Taught at the following Campuses: Hialeah, Padron, and West
(PHI-2010) Introduction to Philosophy using Philosophy Here and Now 3e & 4e by Lewis Vaughn (Oxford University Press)
Sample Syllabus available for download
Taught at the following Campuses: Wolfson
(PHI-2604) Critical Thinking & Ethics using Doing Ethics 6e by Lewis Vaughn (W.W. Norton)
Sample Syllabus available for download
Taught at the following Campuses: Wolfson, Hialeah, & Padron
(PHI-2680) Artificial Intelligence and Ethics using Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, ed. By S. Matthew Liao and AI Ethics, by Mark Coeckelbergh and other miscellaneous readings
Sample Syllabus available for download
Taught at the following Campuses: Hialeah
Current Projects
Mind & the World
Introduction to Metaphysics & Epistemology
Current Project with Dr. Ron McClamrockA comprehensive textbook designed as a companion to undergraduate courses on the philosophical perspectives of metaphysics and epistemology from the stance of one’s interaction of the mind and their everyday world.
Unintelligibility of Interaction Was Descartes Not a Dualist?
This paper reconsiders Descartes’ profound meditations with other applicable areas of Descartes’ corpus, reclassifying the nature of Cartesian consciousness and existence within a trialist framework of his entire philosophical discourse.
Merleau-Pontian Conception of Mindfulness
Current project with Dr. Ron McClamrock, Ph.D.An independent study that investigates advanced aspects of 4E cognition through an existential-phenomenological survey of historical and contemporary authors focusing on a phenomenological concept of “mindfulness.”
Ongoing Projects
Mr. J's Folk Philosophy
The world of academic philosophy has become clogged and stagnant with high-brow language and theory that keeps philosophy from those who desperately need it - EVERYONE.
Mr. J's Folk Philosophy will take many forms, but will be available to everyone in some form: Podcasts, Articles, Classes online, and more...
Phenomenology of Fear & Anxiety: What We Can Learn
This paper recasts the role of anxiety and fear by phenomenologically examining the multifaceted aspect of intentionality contained within an anxious and fearful experience.
Religious Conversion: A Phenomenal Curiosity
To motivate a conceptual analysis, this paper will provide historical examples that purport to describe religious conversion that do not provide adequate accounts of the phenomenon of spiritual conversion.