Football and Philosophy

Football and Philosophy 1

There was a feature story in this Sunday’s New York Times Magazine about the philosophy department at Auburn University. Yes, I said the philosophy department at Auburn University. The man responsible for turning the department into one of the best in the country is Kelly Jolley. Described here by Jonathan Mahler.

At 42, he is a bear of a man with a prematurely white beard and blue eyes. He walks with an unsteady gait, the product of a pair of bad knees from his days as a high-school football lineman. You might imagine philosophers as inaccessible and withdrawn, endlessly absorbed in esoteric thoughts. Jolley couldn’t be further from this stereotype. He’s cheerful and engaged, an enthusiast about everything from college football, which he follows rabidly, even by Southern standards…

Fascinating guy and really cool story. It’s a long feature but if your interested it’s worth it.

The Thinker: How did Kelly Jolley turn Auburn University into a hotbed of philosophical talent? by Jonathan Mahler.

Football and Philosophy 2

Oh, how I do love the The Onion. Makes me happy.