UMass Boston

Medieval Islamic and Jewish philosophy, history of moral philosophy, history of political philosophy, metaphysics (Spinoza & Leibniz), Kant’s moral philosophy

PhD, Brandeis University, 1977

• Classical Logic and Its Rabbit-Holes: A First Course. Hackett Publishing. 2013.
• “Trotsky’s Brilliant Flame and Broken Reed”, Social Philosophy Today, vol. 20, Summer 2004.
• "Maimonides on Property: its Distribution and Accumulation", in Joseph A. Schumpeter, ed. Lawrence Moss, (London: Routledge, 1996).
• "Does Pluralism Lead to Nihilism? or: Isn't it Time to Sacrifice an Ox?" in Defending Diversity, eds. Lawrence Foster and Patricia Herzog, (Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1994).
• "Posthumous Rehabilitation and the Dust-Bin of History", Public Affairs Quarterly Vol. 4, No. 3, July 1990, pp. 267-286.
• "Moral Knowledge, Character, and a Dilemma: The Easy Way In, The Hard Way Out", Philosophy in Context, Vol. 16, 1986, pp. 55-64.

Nelson Lande (PhD, Brandeis, 1977) has been teaching in the Philosophy Department at UMass Boston since January 1979.  His primary teaching focus is on Logic, Metalogic, and Philosophy of Logic. Hackett Press recently published his logic textbook, Classical Logic and Its Rabbit-Holes:  A First Course.  He also teaches Metaphysics (Spinoza and Leibniz), Social and Political Thinkers (Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hume, and Burke), Medieval Islamic and Jewish Philosophy, and Capitalism and Socialism. He was the recipient of the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award (2004) and the Philosophy Department’s Robert Swartz Creative Teaching Award (2004). His published articles include “Trotsky’s Brilliant Flame and Broken Reed," Social Philosophy Today, vol. 20, Summer 2004; "Maimonides on Property: its Distribution and Accumulation," in Joseph A. Schumpeter, ed. Lawrence Moss, (London:  Routledge, 1996); "Does Pluralism Lead to Nihilism? or:  Isn't it Time to Sacrifice an Ox?" in Defending Diversity, eds. Lawrence Foster and Patricia Herzog, (Amherst:  University of Massachusetts Press, 1994); "Posthumous Rehabilitation and the Dust-Bin of History," Public Affairs Quarterly Vol. 4, No. 3, July 1990, pp. 267-286; and "Moral Knowledge, Character, and a Dilemma: The Easy Way In, The Hard Way Out," Philosophy in Context, Vol. 16, 1986, pp. 55-64.

Awards

• The Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Teaching (2004)
• The Philosophy Department’s Robert Swartz Creative Teaching Award (2004)

Courses Taught

• Logic
• Metatheory (a more advanced Logic course: approximately once every other year as a group independent study)
• Ancient Philosophy
• Medieval Philosophy
• Modern Philosophy
• Contemporary Philosophy
• Metaphysics
• Hume
• Kant’s Moral Philosophy
• History of Ethics
• Social and Political Thinkers
• Capitalism and Socialism
• Moral Issues in Medicine
• Philosophy of Law
• Introduction to Philosophy
• Reasoning and Argument
• Maimonides’ Guide for the Perplexed (twice as an independent study)
• Spinoza’s Ethics (once as an independent study)
• Medieval Jewish Philosophy (in the Honors Program)

Special Topics Courses

• Philosophy of War, Terrorism, & Torture
• Contemporary Religious Fundamentalism and the European Enlightenment
• Toleration and Intolerance
• Medieval Islamic and Jewish Philosophy
• Medieval Islamic Philosophy