Clair Morrissey

Engaged Philosophy and the Public Philosophy Network are partnering to present a special interview series that highlights the work of public philosophers who will be presenting at the 2019 PPN Conference Oct 17-19, 2019.

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Clair Morrissey is Associate Professor and Chair in the Department of Philosophy at Occidental College. She collaborates with biology colleagues to embed philosophy in field research, benefitting philosophers and biologists alike.

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Occidental College students and faculty on a research trip to the La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica, June 2017. The group studies plants and animals of the tropical rain forest in an intensive and immersive program. (Photo by Marc Campos, Occidental College Photographer)

What type of public philosophy do you do?

I am proud to share that, beginning  in Fall 2019, Occidental College’s philosophy major will include an experiential  learning requirement. Our department  offers a range of courses through which students “learn by doing.” Along with a course that prepares students to participate in the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl, we offer classes that centrally involve semester-long community partnerships, and others that focus on engaging meaningfully with the arts or the natural environments of Los Angeles. In all of my courses, I emphasize the skill of critical reflection and students’ development of their ability to take philosophical discussions beyond the classroom.

Give an example of a successful project.

Since 2017, I have collaborated with colleagues in Occidental’s Biology Department to embed philosophical reflection and discussion within a fieldwork research program for undergraduates. My colleagues have run the fieldwork program for many years, mentoring students in ecological research at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica, a field station run by the Organization for Tropical Studies. The philosophy component adds two elements to this long-standing program: (a) undergraduate research in philosophy, and (b) philosophy discussions and reflections for everyone in the program.

With respect to the first, because La Selva is a working field station, there are many practicing scientists on site to learn from. In addition to assisting with the Occidental ecologists’ fieldwork, philosophy students have interviewed the researchers working at the station about a host of topics, from research ethics, to conceptions of nature and its value, to the relationship between science and broader publics. The students use these interviews to inform philosophical papers—for example, papers on “ingenuity” as a scientific virtue and on adopting community-based participatory research practices as a model for ecology. The interviews also inform broader community projects, such as writing the text for a bilingual Spanish-English coloring book that teaches children about science done in the rainforest.

With respect to the second, I lead the whole group— biologists and philosophers alike—in a series of philosophical discussions about environmental ethics, the nature and aims of science, the role of science in a democratic society, or any other philosophical question or topic that the group finds pressing or relevant for their work. Students also write a series of reflections connecting their field experiences to the topics and discussions.

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What benefits does doing public philosophy offer to the public(s) you engage? What benefits does it offer you? 

The benefits of the La Selva project are many, for both the scientists and the philosophers. The project has been successful in cultivating a genuine interdisciplinary conversation between the field ecologists and ethicists. The experience directly informs the philosophy students’ understanding of the practice of scientific research, giving them deeper insight into the philosophical questions raised by this practice. The biology students have the opportunity to think about their work in a new way, and to gain tools for being intentional and reflective about their practice throughout their careers. As one student wrote, “[The philosophy discussions/readings] pushed me to question not just my beliefs, but why I believe them…I am still thinking about the readings and will continue to do so for awhile, I think.”  And, as another reflected, “I think making students consider why they value science and nature really changes the way you do your work.”

More personally, the project has strengthened my relationship with my colleagues. I more fully understand and appreciate their work, and have learned an enormous amount from observing their close mentoring relationship with their students. I have also come to love La Selva, and have learned more about tropical ecology than I could have ever imagined knowing!

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What role does PPN play in your professional work? What role do you play in PPN?  

I am new to the Public Philosophy Network. I attended my first PPN conference in 2018 to describe the first iteration of this project. I found at the conference a vibrant community of like-minded and supportive philosophers, doing incredible work. I am excited to continue learning from them.

In what way does your public philosophy change your relationship to students?

This project has changed my relationship to students in a number of ways. Although I have mentored undergraduate philosophy students in research in the past, and in projects that do not involve fieldwork, I come to know the students who come to La Selva more fully and more deeply. We live and work together in the rainforest for two weeks, eating every meal together, and we are the only humanists working at the station. We walk through the jungle and observe the incredible plants, insects, and animals; we talk philosophy; we think about how the scientists are doing their work. I more fully understand my students as people, and can see their strengths that are not always evident in a traditional classroom or undergraduate research context. For example, during the first year, my students discovered a fer-de-lance (a highly venomous snake) in the corner of a lab when they went to conduct an evening interview (something that never happens in LA!). They were calm, cool, and collected—leaving the room to find a herpetologist who would be better able to move the snake safely. I love to brag about how brave and level-headed they were!

What is your favorite quote, and why?

My favorite quote is from John Dewey and it expresses how I understand my work as a philosopher: “Philosophy recovers itself when it ceases to be a device for dealing with the problems of philosophers and becomes a method, cultivated by philosophers, for dealing with the problems of men.” I think philosophy contributes something invaluable to human life. Its emphasis on critical thought and reflection manifests a deep commitment to, responsibility for, and meaningful approach to personal, interpersonal, and public justification of our most foundational and important beliefs and actions. Philosophy is best done as fully and deeply part of human life, alongside and part of the practices and institutions that give shape and meaning to our communities. I see the La Selva project as participating in the recovery of philosophy, by putting it in service of a critical understanding of ecological field research practices and of the development of young scientists.

EngagedPhilosophy readers: If you’d like to nominate yourself or someone else for an interview, email us at info@engagedphilosophy.com.

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