Warren C Edick

Biography

Bio:   I was born and raised in Germany where I received my first degree in higher education, namely, the German equivalent of an AA in the Social Sciences and Geography. In the nineties I completed the BA in Clinical Psychology with a minor in Philosophy and in 2005 I earned the MA in Philosophy. 2009-2010 I engaged into post graduate studies and became an Ignatian Faculty Scholar.

I teach philosophy both in the classroom and online. The courses I teach and have taught are Introduction to Philosophy, Ethics, Comparative Religion, Logic, Critical Reasoning and Logic, Elements of a Successful Argument, The Meaning of Life, Classical Philosophy/Ancient Greek Philosophy, Persons and Conduct and Leading Lives that Matter. Besides teaching I am engaged in personal research within my field and the most recent book I have authored is entitled The Clearing in the Wood which explores the meaning of life in the form of a fictional novella.

During graduate school I was labeled a linguist by the faculty. One may expect much linguistic analysis from me, that is, however, not merely meaningful but also fun and entertaining. I am fluent in English and German, semi-fluent in French (I have lived in France four times as an exchange student many years ago), and I have studied Latin since childhood and have engaged in graduate-level work in Palavi, Avestan, Sanskrit, and ancient Greek.

My educational travels have included but are not limited to: Africa, The Middle East, India, Asia, The Americas, Yugoslavia, Monaco, Spain, Italy, Austria, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, England, France, and Germany.

My hobby is hiking with my family and our black lab mix Forest. Most of our hiking is off trail where we venture deep into the backcountry of our National Forests for multiple day and night treks. Also, I love classical music in general and medieval hymns in particular. And lastly, much of my time is spent in my personal library that contains many works that are very dear to me.

My Teaching Philosophy:

My beliefs about education are classical ones in general, though, in particular, they are Aristotelian in that I view education as the actualization of potentiality. For example, we all have access to the intellect, yet, honing one's skills at critical reasoning is a development...and one of the traditional hallmarks of a higher education.

In life in general, and in philosophy courses in particular, it takes courage to question things and particularly so in a cultural cycle laden with political divisiveness. After all, who wants to be thought of in the pejorative such as a snowflake or a racial supremacist? Thus, courage is necessary for development.

However, authentic development does not happen if I cannot tease it out of my students to be genuinely honest. Therefore, offering them heartfelt encouragement to translate our formal learning materials into the rational support of what are their own and personal views while allowing others to do the same is one role that I believe to be an important one as an educator. To that end, I place a premium on an atmosphere of intimacy and immediacy based on the felt presence of trust and good will.

Philosophy is the love of wisdom. Accordingly, I very much believe that character development is a huge part of a higher education. There's a reason one is called to take courses outside the field of one's own major on one's way to becoming a college graduate. That is not to say that I have a particular character in mind for any of my students. Rather, it is merely such that we all grow up being ‘enveloped’ in environmental expectations and outlooks, be they from family, friends, culture, language, religion, etc. And part of what a higher education is, is a time to ‘develop’ these layers, layer by layer, and to critically reflect on what it is one really believes in, who one really wants to be, what it is one really wants to do given the opportunity of...a lifetime. Such experiences may result in some wisdom and therefore open the possibility of a eudaimonic life. Of course, none of this negates the importance of demonstrating one's mastery of essential course learning materials, yet, facilitating this process is a value I hold onto dearly.

My approach is to interact with and respond to each student as a whole human being. That is to say, it is not only this particular assignment in its relation to this particular grading rubric, but rather, what also comes to bear are the details of any particular situation, such as, for example, personal or family problems as well as time management challenges related to difficult or busy work schedules. All these things take their respective place in decision making processes on due dates and possible extensions, repetition of instructions and personalized guidance toward a meaningful and successful experience of the course.

I much enjoy fostering both communication and communication skills and in the online environment often find myself using video messaging features for announcements as well as individualized gradebook feedback. What a difference it can make for students to find a real person talking to them and encouraging them.

But in the end, what I want most for my students is that they do well, both in the course and in living their lives.

Respectfully,

Warren C. Edick II

edickw@erau.edu

Education

• M.A. - Master of Arts in Philosophy, Colorado State University

Currently Teaching

• HUMN 330: Values and Ethics