Part-Time Instructor
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
jrpierce@syr.edu
Areas of Expertise:
- Philosophy of race
- Metaphysics
- Philosophy of religion
- Social philosophy
- Ethics
Most of my published work in philosophy has been on the topic of the nature of race and racial classification. I have also contributed chapters to several volumes on pop culture and philosophy. My teaching focus in ECS has been ethical issues in engineering, computer science, and science in general. I teach Syracuse University’s first-year seminar and sometimes teach classes for the philosophy department, including Ethics, Theories of Knowledge and Reality, Logic, and Human Nature. I also teach at Le Moyne College.
Honors and Awards:
- Le Moyne College Outstanding Part-Time Faculty Member of the Year, April 2013
- Syracuse University Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award, April 2003
Selected Publications:
Book: A Realist Metaphysics of Race: A Context-Sensitive, Short-Term Retentionist, Long-Term Revisionist Approach, Lexington/Rowman & Littlefield (December 2014)
Scholarly Article: – “Glasgow’s Anti-Realism: Experimental Philosophy and Thought Experiments,” Journal of Social Philosophy 44 No.2, Summer 2013, 146-168.
Popular Articles/Chapters:
— “Making the Inevitable Look Impossible and the Impossible Look Easy: Purpose, Fate, and Destiny in ‘Monday’ and ‘The Goldberg Variation’” in The X-Files and Philosophy, ed. Robert Arp (Open Court, 2017)
— “Disability in Westeros” in The Ultimate Game of Thrones and Philosophy, ed. Eric Silverman and Robert Arp (Open Court, 2016)
— “Being Vetinari: Personal Identity on the Discworld” in The Discworld and Philosophy, ed. Jacob Held (Open Court, 2016) — “Fate on the Discworld and Roundworld: A Conversation Between Death and Lu-Tze” in The Discworld and Philosophy, ed. Nicolas Michaud (Open Court, 2016)
— “The Golden Man” in Philip K. Dick and Philosophy, ed. D.E. Wittkower (Open Court, 2011)
— “It Doesn’t Matter What We Do: Whatever Happened Happened” in The Ultimate Lost and Philosophy, ed. Sharon Kaye (Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series, 2010)
— “Destiny in Harry Potter”, in The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy: Hogwarts for Muggles, ed. Greg Bassham (Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series, 2010)
— “Mutants and the Metaphysics of Race”, in The X-Men and Philosophy: Astonishing Insight and Uncanny Argument in the X-Verse, ed. Rebecca Housel and J. Jeremy Wisnewski (Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series, 2009)