Thomas V. Morris
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thomas V. Morris or Tom Morris as he is also known is a philosopher, former Professor of Philosophy at University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, founder of Morris Institute of Human Values and author of numerous books. He is also a popular business and motivational speaker. Morris is noted for his application of age old key philosophical themes and concepts to business and professional life. He has done this through the Morris Institute[1], his professional speaking engagements and through his books.
With academic philosophy widely regarded as an arcane or irrelevant endeavor, due to recent efforts in the field of linguistic and analytic philosophy, Morris' animated and humorous lectures and capacious writings have introduced millions to the manner in which classic themes and the works of towering figures in philosophy can be harnessed to improve one's life and further one's ambitions. His intelligent and intelligible books include "Philosophy for Dummies", "True Success", "The Art of Achievement", "If Aristotle Ran General Motors" and his latest text, "If Harry Potter Ran General Electric".
[edit] Early Life
Tom was born and grew up in North Carolina. He graduated from the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), and holds a Ph. D. in Philosophy and Religious Studies from Yale University. UNC has honored him with the "Distinguished Young Alumnus Award", an award that he shares with, among others, the well-known former Chicago Bulls basketball player, Michael Jordan.
[edit] Academic Career
He served as a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, where he quickly became one of their most popular teachers. He is noted for his ability to transform esoteric concepts and obscure academic texts into lively educational and fun learning experiences. An example of his pedagogical skill is when he arranged for the school marching band to motivate members of the Fighting Irish Football team who were about to take a test in one of his philosophy classes.
Morris made many significant contributions to academic philosophy of religion and is considered to be a leading contributor to the contemporary analytic discussions of many critical areas in both philosophy and theology.
One of his earliest publications remains a classic text in contemporary philosophical theology writing, the "Logic of God Incarnate". He has also written other important works in general philosophy as well as in philosophical theology. Such works as "Our Idea of God", "Anselmian Explorations: Essays in Philosophical Theology", "Divine and Human Action: Essays in the Metaphysics of Theism" and "Philosophy and the Christian Faith".
[edit] Philosopher for the Masses
Making Philosophy fun, intelligible and practical to the ordinary person seem to be Morris’ driving passion. Earlier on in his academic career, Morris authored the highly popular "The Bluffer’s Guide to Philosophy" and "Making Sense of It All", two highly readable books that provides the amateur philosopher easy access to philosophical works and concepts. In the latter work, Morris brought to life, one of the greatest Christian thinkers of all time, Blaise Pascal. In this book, Morris highlighted Pascal's observation that diversion is one of the greatest spiritual dangers of our age. But diversion can only keep the "big questions" about the meaning of life at bay for so long, says Morris, who sub-titled the book, "Pascal and the Meaning of Life". Morris points out that that people are hungry to engage in intelligent dialog about the purpose and meaning of life. He argues from Pascal's reflections in the Pensees that people need to understand the larger context of their lives in order to determine how to live. As people confront ethical dilemmas in everyday life, they begin to ask more probing questions that eventually lead to ultimate questions about life, death, morality, value, meaning, and purpose.
Recently Morris continues his quest to bring philosophy to life and to allow people to apply appropriate reflection on life and the meaning of it all in "The Dummies’ Guide to Philosophy" and "The Stoic Art of Living," in which he transforms the abstruse writings of Epictetus, Seneca and Marcus Aurelius into intelligible concepts and practical applications to contemporary life.
Yet another of Morris' practical applications of philosophy to contemporary culture is "If Harry Potter Ran General Electric" where he explored the philosophical implications and themes from the popular children's classics by J.K. Rowling and applied them to lessons in leadership and ethics. Tom also edited a volume entitled "Superheroes and Philosophy" with his son Matt. Tom is not only a writer and speaker, he has appeared on television in a segment on ethics for The Learning Channel, and as the philosophic face of Winnie the Pooh for Disney Home Video.
After fifteen years teaching at Notre Dame where he won numerous teaching and popularity awards from students and his peers, Morris ventured out to the business world and founded the Morris Institute for Human Values of which he is also Chairman. The Institute is based in Wilmington, NC, where he now lives.
Tom is also an avid rock guitarist. He grew up with legendary country music song writer Don Schlitz, who, as a foundering youth musician, encouraged Tom to start a band with him.
