Michael Calasso is a graduate student and fellow of the Minnesota Center for the Philosophy of Science at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. He was born and raised in Gravesend, Brooklyn. Mr. Calasso’s research interests include (but are not limited to) the metaontology of neologicism, semantic internalism, mathematical logic, and metaethical analyses of evil organizations.
What excites you about philosophy?
There are two things: First, philosophers deal with a class of questions and problems that lay at the foundation and run across all other fields of study and approaches to living well. We deal with the biggest of the big questions, so to speak. Second, we attempt to answer these questions as an intellectual community and share that with our students. Philosophy is not solitary or a result of idiosyncrasies; it’s something that people do, and we do it together. I find the intellectual challenge of answering these important questions and the privilege of working with others exciting.
What are you most proud of in your professional life?
What I am most proud of in my professional life is something that can’t become a line on my CV – watching the confusion and anxiety on a student’s face wash away when they finally understand something and noticing the excitement that replaces it. I am proud of helping someone understand something in a way that makes them feel welcome, intellectually valuable, and excited to think with others. Even in a large group, I try to make this happen individually for people, and it seems to work. There is no sophisticated method or approach. I teach chaotically but deliberately. I try to appeal to all of my student’s personal experience by listening to them and noticing what interests them. We have to keep the students interested. That is something that I learned from the physicist Richard Feynman: you don’t need a particular teaching method, just don’t bore everyone all at once.
What are you working on right now?
There are a few things, the most important of which is my dissertation. Therein I argue that the semantic principles that Bob Hale and Crispin Wright use to establish the existence and ontological character of numbers are either false or meaningless; therefore, the neologicist metaontology is not viable. Another project that I have been working on is an analysis of the Italian-American Mafia as an evil institution. I am interested in ‘evil’ as a moral concept and its conceptual derivatives, e.g., ‘evil institutions’. The basic question that drives the project is: what is the metaethical grounding of the evilness of the Italian-American Mafia? The answer to this question might seem obvious but it isn’t. And that’s what’s interesting about it.
What do you like to do outside work?
That’s easy. Two things: eat out and cook. Before the pandemic, I would regularly try new restaurants in the Twin Cities. I love the whole experience of visiting a new venue, perusing the food menu and wine list, and – of course – eating an incredible meal. There’s a story behind every choice that is made in a restaurant. And I love to learn about those choices and to enjoy the intended experience that is a result of those choices. Even more so, I love to cook. (It was a big part of my Italian-American upbringing in Brooklyn.) Most of the dishes I make are rustic and have a history. I love to share that history and the experience of enjoying that dish with my friends. Dining out and cooking keep me fresh for my intellectual work. Remember: a little bit of hedonism goes a long way!
What’s your favorite quote?
“I don’t like to be out of my comfort zone, which is about a half an inch wide.” – Larry David.
This section of the APA Blog is designed to get to know our fellow philosophers a little better. We’re including profiles of APA members that spotlight what captures their interest not only inside the office, but also outside of it. We’d love for you to be a part of it, so please contact us via the interview nomination form here to nominate yourself or a friend.
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.
