Samuel Bennett is a PhD Candidate in the Philosophy Department at Purdue University working on ancient Greek philosophy and virtue ethics. In his spare time, he writes music, plays guitar, and he’s also the lead caretaker of a large piece of property just outside of Lafayette, Indiana.
What are you working on right now?
I am currently reviewing my dissertation in preparation for defending it in Mid-July. It is an exploration of two overlooked character types in Aristotle’s virtue ethics: self-control and un-self-control. The heart of my thesis is that people can express these character types in any domain of action where reason and desire can conflict. This may seem obvious from a contemporary standpoint, but there are some reasons to believe, which I am working against, that Aristotle meant to restrict self-control and un-self-control to the domain of action involving only food, drink, and sex.
What do you like to do outside work?
I enjoy songwriting quite a bit. Composing music and writing lyrics can call for some of the same skills that philosophical writing requires, but there is something therapeutic about letting oneself write freely, without worrying too much about whether or not a song’s musical or lyrical conclusion is necessitated by what has just come before.
What is your favorite book of all time? Why? To whom would you recommend them?
While there are many books I could probably mention here, recently I have become convinced that A Canticle for Liebowitz, written by Walter M. Miller, Jr., best fits the bill. It is a sprawling novel, split into three parts, that either tests or confirms one’s intuitions about human nature — for instance, whether it is stagnant and cyclical or capable of significant evolution and development. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys post-apocalyptic sci-fi stories that dive deep into moral dilemmas in unique ways.
What is your favorite sound in the world?
I have yet to find a sound that rivals the chorus of insects that fills Indiana woods at dusk in the summertime.
What’s your most treasured memory?
When I was very young, my father passed away; for many years my mother was left to care for me on her own before finding someone who could both bring her happiness and serve as someone I could look up to. I distinctly remember there being one day during which I realized my family was whole again, despite there being a new and different person closing the gap that my father’s passing created. The man she fell in love with went on to become my stepfather and someone I continue to cherish and respect to this day. My most treasured memory is when I came to the realization that my mother and I were part of an entire family unit again.
What topic do you think is under explored in philosophy?
It’s not rare for us to identify ourselves as philosophers to people who aren’t familiar with our craft and to get the response, “So, what do you do?” Lots of people outside of academia would claim that they don’t know the first thing about philosophy, but it seems to me that many people actually do philosophy or engage in critical thinking in their day to day lives without realizing that’s what they’re doing. So I think an interesting and under explored philosopher’s undertaking involves closing the gap that exists between the halls of academia and the living world outside of it. One concrete way of closing the gap could be to host book clubs or reading groups at local community centers or to lobby for the inclusion of the basic principles of logic in elementary school curricula.
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Dr. Sabrina D. MisirHiralall is an editor at the Blog of the APA who currently teaches philosophy, religion, and education courses solely online for Montclair State University, Three Rivers Community College, and St. John’s University.
