EUGENE–University of Oregon philosopher Mark Johnson’s Nov. 15 lecture, "Philosophy in the Flesh," may challenge the basis of Western thought that views the mind as operating independently of influence from the flesh.

Johnson’s 3:30 p.m. talk in the Alumni Lounge of Gerlinger Hall, 1468 University St., will draw upon his latest book that reviewers describe as a path-breaking volume radically challenging the tenets of Western philosophy.

Sponsors of the free public lecture and following reception are the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) and the UO Institute for Cognitive and Decision Sciences.

Written with George Lakoff, Johnson’s latest book, "Philosophy in the Flesh: The Embodied Mind and Its Challenge to Western Thought," refutes the long-held view that reason is independent of the body, directly accessible to conscious reflection, and uniquely human.

Head of the UO Department of Philosophy, Johnson is highly regarded for his scholarly contributions, which have been influential, not just among philosophers, but also among a wide array of scholars in linguistics, artificial intelligence and the cognitive sciences in general. His scholarship has ranged across central problems in understanding the human mind, especially how the workings of the mind are related to the kind of physical beings we are and the experience we have in this concrete and material world.

Johnson, who joined the UO philosophy department in 1994, also is co-author of "Metaphors We Live By," the author of "The Body in the Mind and Moral Imagination" and editor of the anthology "Philosophical Perspectives on Metaphor."

Johnson is one of three UO faculty members who were named 1999-2000 CAS Distinguished Professor Award recipients. The College of Arts and Sciences presents this annual award to recognize senior faculty members for their scholarly achievements.

Other 1999-2000 CAS Distinguished Professor Award recipients are Mary Rothbart, professor of psychology, and Gary Seitz, head of the mathematics department.

For more information, contact the College of Arts and Sciences Development Office, (541)
346-3950.

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