Author: JJ Sylvia IV

J.J. Sylvia IV attended Mississippi State University where he received B.A. degrees in philosophy and communications. He later received a philosophy M.A. from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Introducing Our Newest Co-Author: JustHeath

I’m excited to introduce the newest co-author to Philosophy Matters, Doctor JustHeath. His diverse background in the biological sciences, psychology and counseling makes him a wonderful addition to our collaborative community at Philosophy Matters. I’ve also had the opportunity to see how much fun he can bring to the educational environment, as perhaps my favorite memory of JustHeath is the… Continue reading Introducing Our Newest Co-Author: JustHeath

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Weekend Meditation: Open Dialogue

“Dialogue is not some simplistic assertion of one’s own position, nor is it necessarily about persuading others to one’s point of view. Dialogue is about demonstrating respect for another’s life, and being determined to learn when confronted with differences in personality and perspective.” – Daisaku Ikeda This morning, shortly after starting the coffee brewing, the… Continue reading Weekend Meditation: Open Dialogue

Choosing Happiness

Happiness - photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/galego/

The past month or so has felt a lot like those times where life throws you a curveball. My grandmother passed away and work has been in one of it’s more stressful cycles. All of this has culminated in my coming face-to-face with some of the struggles that have been a recurring theme in my… Continue reading Choosing Happiness

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Voting and Critical Thinking

A recent CNN article reports on voters who are traditionally Republican but are feeling conflicted during this election because they have either directly or indirectly benefited because of ObamaCare. Disclaimer: I assume you could find such an issue with either party and voters on both sides. I’m addressing this particular article because it is the… Continue reading Voting and Critical Thinking

Exciting Announcements and Updates

Ponder the big questions over a cup of coffee. Quote on the other side reads: Coffee makes us severe and grave and philosophical. – Jonathan Swift

In an effort to continually improve both my own life and the Philosophy Matters blog, we will be implementing some changes over the next few weeks. Recently I faced a great deal of stress at work and my grandmother passed away, and these two events combined got me to sit down and reflect on where… Continue reading Exciting Announcements and Updates

Teaching By Walking Around

A recent article from Tomorrow’s Professor discussed a new model called Teaching By Walking Around, and looked at how this might be useful when looking at the differences between online and traditional classes: In the midst of a proliferation of cost effective online courses, universities will have to differentiate in order to charge a higher… Continue reading Teaching By Walking Around

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