I was born in Edmonton and grew up there. While pursuing my first degree, which was in history, I had the great luck to land in a philosophy class taught by Terence Penelhum. I was fascinated by the tales of Zeno’s immobility, Plato’s cave, and Descartes’ evil genius; in addition, Prof. Penelhum’s clarity, fairness, and dry wit made a deep impression on me. More than fifty years after that class, I recall with pleasure his astute remarks and tremendous tact.
My subsequent degrees were in philosophy (M.A., University of Calgary; Ph.d., University of Waterloo). From 1971 – 1982, I taught at Trent University in Peterborough Ontario. Much as I loved that liberal arts university and scenic town, I moved to Calgary in 1982 for family reasons. Between 1982 and 2004, I was mainly self-employed, doing only occasional teaching. With generous grant support over some of those years, I was able to write and publish first on topics in the theory of argument and later on themes of trust and suspicion. My work with community groups, including Ploughshares Calgary and the United Way of Calgary did much to stimulate my interest in social philosophy.
In 2004-5, I accepted a visiting appointment at Menno Simons College (Winnipeg) and returned to teaching. In 2005 I joined the Philosophy Department at the University of Lethbridge, where I greatly appreciated the warm welcome and support of my colleagues. I continued in that position until my retirement in December, 2012.
When I’m not pursuing philosophical projects, I enjoy travel, visiting with friends, reading, swimming, and playing the piano. I am fortunate to have three wonderful and successful children and four highly dynamic grandchildren.
My subsequent degrees were in philosophy (M.A., University of Calgary; Ph.d., University of Waterloo). From 1971 – 1982, I taught at Trent University in Peterborough Ontario. Much as I loved that liberal arts university and scenic town, I moved to Calgary in 1982 for family reasons. Between 1982 and 2004, I was mainly self-employed, doing only occasional teaching. With generous grant support over some of those years, I was able to write and publish first on topics in the theory of argument and later on themes of trust and suspicion. My work with community groups, including Ploughshares Calgary and the United Way of Calgary did much to stimulate my interest in social philosophy.
In 2004-5, I accepted a visiting appointment at Menno Simons College (Winnipeg) and returned to teaching. In 2005 I joined the Philosophy Department at the University of Lethbridge, where I greatly appreciated the warm welcome and support of my colleagues. I continued in that position until my retirement in December, 2012.
When I’m not pursuing philosophical projects, I enjoy travel, visiting with friends, reading, swimming, and playing the piano. I am fortunate to have three wonderful and successful children and four highly dynamic grandchildren.