Jean Keller, Ph.D.

HAB 105C
ph. 320-363-5097
Email: jkeller@csbsju.edu

I became a philosophy major at Boston College for two main reasons:
1) to graduate with an English major (the other option I was considering) I would have to take a semester of poetry. I wasn’t sure I had the stamina to make it through an entire semester of poetry.
2) I was keenly interested in understanding the hows and whys of the world around me—and I saw philosophy, with its relentless questioning of the fundamental presuppositions of every conceivable area of knowledge, as providing me with the best avenue to approaching such an understanding.

I still consider myself more of a student of philosophy than a teacher of it, and I enjoy exploring with my students a wide range of issues and topics ranging from ethical and political theory, to feminism, racism, biomedical ethics, and ethics of the family and of the environment. Ethics is the thread that ties together my disparate interests—I’m keenly interested in that most basic philosophical question of how should we live together.

My professional writing has always been grounded in my life experiences and has primarily focused on the ethics of interpersonal relationships.  I’ve published articles on friendship, autonomy, motherhood, care ethics, and teaching men’s studies. Most recently I’ve been working on a series of essays exploring Sara Ruddick’s landmark book, Maternal Thinking, from the perspective of adoption, to see what this perspective can tell us about the goals of maternal practice.

My personal interests include gardening, bicycling, walking, canoeing, and travel and I’m thrilled that my children are getting to be old enough to do these activities with me. This past year the kids and I started studying Korean; I hope to visit S. Korea in the next few years to put my budding language skills to the test. Of course if I’m successful, I’ll be trying to engage in cross cultural communication by belting out the Hokey Pokey and Old McDonald in Korean!

Research & Teaching Interests:  Ethics, Feminist Philosophy, Medical Ethics

Fall 2009 Schedule:
days 1-3-5 period IV (1:00-2:10 p.m.) HAB 119
ETH 390 Ethics in Everyday Life
days 1-3-5 period V (2:40-3:50 p.m.) HAB 128B
ETH 390 Ethics in Everyday Life

Spring 2010 Schedule:
days 1-3-5 period V (2:40-3:50 p.m.) HAB 119
ETH 390/PHIL 325 Feminist Ethics
days 2-4-6 period IV (1:00-2:10 p.m.) HAB 119
ETH 390.08A Ethics in Everyday Life
days 2-4-6 period V (2:40-3:50 p.m.) HAB 119
ETH 390.09A Ethics in Everyday Life