Thomas V. Morris
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Thomas V. Morris (or Tom Morris as he is also known) is a philosopher, a former Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, founder of the Morris Institute of Human Values, and author of several books. He is also a popular business and motivational speaker. Over the course of this aspect of his career, Morris has focused on the application of philosophical themes and concepts to business and professional life. He has done so through the Morris Institute, his professional speaking engagements, and his writing.
Morris sees recent efforts in the field of analytic philosophy as having given philosophy the image of an arcane or irrelevant endeavor, and so has attempted to make philosophy more accessible to the masses through his work. Morris has introduced millions to the themes and thinkers of philosophy.
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[edit] Early life
Morris 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] Academia
He served as a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, where he 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. After fifteen years teaching at Notre Dame where he won numerous teaching and popularity awards from students and his peers
Morris made many significant contributions to academic philosophy of religion and is considered to be a major contributor to 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] Popular philosophy and motivational speaking
Morris' 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.
Morris seeks to make philosophy interesting, intelligible, and practical to the ordinary person. Earlier on in his academic career, Morris authored the popular The Bluffer's Guide to Philosophy and Making Sense of It All: Pascal and the Meaning of Life, two books that provide the amateur philosopher easy access to philosophical works and concepts.
In Making Sense of It All, Morris examined 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. Diversion can only keep the "big questions" about the meaning of life at bay for so long, argues Morris. 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 view 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 to popularize philosophy and allow people to apply appropriate reflection on life and the meaning of it all in Philosophy for Dummies, True Success, If Aristotle Ran General Motors, The Art of Achievement, and The Stoic Art of Living, in which he transforms the 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 has 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 of new essays from world philosophers and some of the top pop culture superhero comic book writers entitled Superheroes and Philosophy with his son Matt Morris. 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, as well as in special guest appearances on such network shows as NBC's Today Show and Regis Philbin's popular morning show.
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.
[edit] Trivia
Morris is 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.
