Joel Wilcox

Biography

Professor Joel Wilcox joined the Barry Faculty in 2004. He has a BA in Art History from the University of California at Irvine, an MA in Philosophy from the Johns Hopkins University, and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Wilcox wrote a dissertation in Greek philosophy that provided the basis for a book entitled The Origins of Epistemology in Early Greek Thought (Edwin Mellen Press, 1994). He specialized in Greek philosophy for many years, authoring papers such as "Barbarian Psyche in Heraclitus" (The Monist, October 1991) and "Whole-Natured Forms in Empedocles' Cosmic Cycle" (in Before Plato, SUNY Press, 2001). For some time Dr. Wilcox’s research has focused on topics in Asian philosophy and Environmental philosophy, due to the relevance of these areas to contemporary issues. Publications in these areas include "The Metaphysics of Tolerance" (in Religion and the Politics of War, Cambridge Scholars Press, 2006), "Sunyata and the Rights of Non-Humans" (Journal of Indian Philosophy and Religion,October 2008) "Ghandian Nonviolence as a Response to Jihadist Terrorism" (in Politics, Pluralism and Religion, Cambridge Scholars Press, 2010), “Human Rights and the Environment” (in Perspectives on Value and Reality, Cambridge Scholars Press, 2013), and “Is Human Behavior Natural” (in Perspectives on Culture, Value and Justice, Cambridge Scholars Press, forthcoming 2015). Dr. Wilcox has given dozens of presentations on topics in Aesthetics, Asian philosophy, Environmental philosophy and Greek philosophy. Some examples are “Is Human Behavior Natural” (Vaasa, Finland, 2014), “Human Rights and the Environment” (Barry University, 2011), “Aesthetic Experience on the Bold Coast: Finding a Middle Way Between Cognitivism and Formalism” (Frederickton, Canada, 2011), “Religion and Morality” (Davis and Elkins College, 2011), "Ecosystemic Health and Human Wellbeing” (Davis and Elkins College, 2010), "Sustainable Religion" (Portland, Maine, 2009), "Human Rights and the Environment" (Bethany College, 2007), "Virtue East and West: Confucian and Aristotelian Approaches to Morality" (Burlington, Vermont 2006), "Socrates and the Delphic Oracle" (New York City, 2003), "Duality and Discursive Thought" (University of Hawai'i, 1998) and "Phronesis in Aristotle's Political Theory" (Ierissos, Greece, 1994).

Research Interest

Greek philosophy