Gordy Mower

Commonly Taught Courses

Hume Descartes British Empiricists Continental Rationalists Classical Chinese Philosophy Political Philosophy Ethics

Biography

I grew up and was educated in the Salt Lake City area. I am a product of the Utah public schools, having attended schools in the Salt Lake and Jordan school districts. I graduated from Alta High School in Sandy, Utah. After graduating from high school, I attended the University of Utah with the intention of majoring in physics. My university studies were postponed while I completed an LDS mission in Seoul, Korea. After returning from Korea, I resumed studies at the University of Utah, redirecting my attention to the study of politics. I also got married to DeeDee Johnson, and began my professional life while still a university student. I worked first as an office manager for a small construction company, and then as a real estate appraiser for a mortgage company while I completed my undergraduate studies. I graduated from the University of Utah with degrees in political science and economics and a baccalaureate certificate in international relations.

After graduating from college, I first took a position again as an office manager at a small construction company, and then later I took a position in the technologies division of American Express. I worked nights at American Express while completing my master’s degree in political science. At the end of my undergraduate career, I found myself more and more attracted to philosophical inquiry. My first exposures to philosophy were in political science and economics classes. These were classes on the history of political thought, international relations theory, and Marxist political economy. As I reentered the University of Utah to begin graduate work, I found myself even more drawn toward political philosophy. I made political theory and international relations the focus of my master’s degree in political science.

After completing my master’s degree, I began teaching philosophy part time at the Salt Lake Community College while continuing to work at American Express at night. I did this for a number of years until I took a management position at American Express. At that time I stopped teaching temporarily. Soon thereafter, though, I left American Express to pursue doctoral studies in philosophy at the University of Utah. I discovered a sense of calling to the study of philosophy and a distaste for business life. As a graduate student, I worked as a teaching assistant in the philosophy department, and as an instructor of philosophy courses. When I became ABD, I accepted a visiting instructor position at Salt Lake Community College, and I continued there until I finished my dissertation. After completing my PhD, I taught philosophy as an adjunct professor at colleges and universities all along the Wasatch Front: Salt Lake Community College, Utah Valley University, and Weber State University. I also began teaching at BYU for the first time as an adjunct. After the Great Recession and the resulting hiring freeze at BYU, I accepted a position there as a visiting professor. Before my term as a visitor expired, I accepted a CFS (tenure analog) track position at BYU. I hope to teach and do research as part of the BYU community for the rest of my professional life.

I live in Riverton, Utah with my wife, DeeDee. We have four children, who right now variously attend the University of Utah, BYU, and Snow College. DeeDee is a professor in the School of Education at Weber State University.

I have a personal biography available at my personal e-portfolio. It is located at https://sites.google.com/site/gordonbmower/. Feel free to read anything there and leave me a comment. In addition to a biography, I have several philosophical papers posted as works in progress at this site. You are welcome to read them and comment on them.

I also have a professional Linkedin site located at http://www.linkedin.com/pub/gordon-mower/33/569/180. Feel free to look that over as well.

You can see my general Facebook profile at https://www.facebook.com/gordy.mower?ref=tn_tnmn.

On Twitter I am Gordon B. Mower @ Mauyoung. You can follow me onTwitter at https://twitter.com/mauyoung.

Degrees

PhD, Philosophy, University of Utah, 2007
MA, Political Science, University of Utah, 1994
BA, Political Science, University of Utah, 1988
BS, Economics, University of Utah, 1988

Interests

My interests include: Philosophy, politics, economics, history, international relations. I like reading and writing fiction, photography, gardening, art, film, hiking, cooking, eating what I have cooked, eating what others have cooked, playing harmonica, etc.
I like the San Franciso Giants, and I am very pleased that they are this year’s National League West champs. I like the San Francisco 49ers. In general I like San Francisco.
I am very interested in all things Korea, and in East Asia. I follow the news from the region quite closely.
I speak Korean, although it is rusty. I am working to rescucitate my knowledge of Korean. I intend to learn Japanese and Mandarin.
You can follow me on Twitter at Mauyoung.

Links

Here is a link to my personal e-portfolio. Please feel free to look around and leave me a comment.
Linkedin for Gordon B. Mower
Facebook for Gordy Mower
Phil 340R Syllabus, Continental Rationalism
Phil 413R Syllabus, History of Modern Ethics
Gordy Mower on KBYU’s “Thinking Aloud”
Phil 202 Syllabus, History of Modern Philosophy