Duke Cruz is a Ronald E. McNair Fellow in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Missouri – Columbia. As a graduate instructor in the department, he teaches undergraduate courses ranging from logic to ethics. As a doctoral candidate, his current dissertation research focuses on the normativity of logic.
What excites you about philosophy?
To be brief: many things. Also, what excites me about philosophy has evolved over the years. Perhaps it would be best to talk about some early experiences in philosophy and some recent experiences in philosophy. My freshman year at Westminster College was my first exposure to philosophy, and from the very first class I took, I was hooked (for inquiring minds, this was a course in introductory ethics). Ultimately, I majored in philosophy back then because there is not much of anything that can compare with reading, thinking, and writing about philosophy. Grabbing a cup of hot coffee and sitting with philosophy books is an important part of my idea of the good life. Fast forward to today, and not much has changed: anyone who knows me well knows that I can be found almost every day of the week with a cup of coffee and a philosophy book or article. What has changed since my undergrad days is my increased interest in professional research in philosophy. Nowadays, what excites me is working on my own solutions to the riddles of philosophy that I’ve read about over the course of my journey in higher education. In sum, what excites me about philosophy is what has always excited me: the distinct privilege that is sharing, talking about, reading, writing about, and, simply, doing philosophy.
What are you working on right now?
At the present moment, I find myself fully engaged with my dissertation research in the philosophy of logic. More specifically, my research concerns the normativity of logic. Many philosophers have thought that it is beyond question that logic is normative in some important sense. It is often said about logic that: logic tells us not how we do think, but how we ought to think. However, since at least Gilbert Harman’s “Change in View: Principles of Reasoning” (1986), philosophers are no longer in agreement that logic is normative. In “Logic isn’t normative” (2020) by Gillian Russell, she joins Harman in arguing against the normativity of logic. Of course, there are still proponents of the thesis that logic is normative. The modern literature of proponents of logical normativity starts with John MacFarlane’s (2004) infamous unpublished article (you can find this here). The article “Consequence and Normative Guidance” (2019) by Florian Steinberger has also presented a recent defense of the normativity of logic (you can find this here). I myself agree that logic is normative, but in my dissertation I take a different approach than the preceding two authors. For more on the normativity of logic, see Florian Steinberger’s (2020) Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (SEP) article here.
What is your favorite sound in the world?
This is a tough one. I grew up playing guitar and listening to a lot of great music. Music is my first love, so it is impossible for me to point out a single sound and claim, “That is my favorite”. That said, here is an incomplete list of sounds that I very much enjoy: the sound of a new set of strings on my twelve-string guitar, the sounds produced by the mighty Led Zeppelin, the sound of silence, the sound of a classical guitar in an auditorium, the unbelievable sounds composed by Beethoven, many genres of electronic music, math rock, post rock, classic rock, classical music, acoustic music, jazz, jazz hop, etc. etc. etc.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I very much enjoy composing and producing music, as well as continuing to develop my musical abilities. Recently, I have been obsessed with chess. In general, you can often find me playing board games or watching good movies/television shows with my friends and family. I also like to eat good food, whether this means cooking at home or going out to eat (since the pandemic started, I have not sat and eaten out at a restaurant. I really look forward to getting back to this [takeout is just not the same!]). Finally, I also enjoy traveling (yet another thing I’m looking forward to getting back to once the pandemic is over!).
What would your childhood self say if someone told you that you would grow up to be a philosopher?
Depending on my age, I would probably begin with asking: what is a philosopher, and what exactly do they do? I’m not sure if my childhood education included philosophy courses (I would assume it didn’t). After hearing this person’s reply, I would have probably just laughed at such a suggestion.
What time of day are you most productive and creative?
It depends on the day. I am most productive and creative from around 7:00am to 5:00pm. That said, I can also be productive and creative into the late hours of the night (roughly: 8:00pm – 2:00am). However, staying up late has never agreed with my body’s functioning, so I almost never work late at night unless I have some impending deadline.
Who is your favorite philosopher and why?
This is, to me, an impossible question to answer. To understand my answer, I’ll just say that as an undergraduate a friend of mine and myself had the goal to read all the great philosophers. I’m still in the process of accomplishing this goal and will be for the foreseeable future.
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.
