Keith Burgess-Jackson: Three Jews

Keith Burgess-Jackson / AnalPhilosopher ^ | September 14, 2004 | Keith Burgess-Jackson

[Tolik]

I have been helped by many people during the course of my life. I am indebted to all of them, for they made my happiness possible. But three men went out of their way to teach, nourish, and guide me. I came to love them like fathers. The first was Leslie H. Kutinsky, who hired me as his law clerk in January 1981. I have no idea what he saw in me. I was so nervous during our interview that I could barely talk, and I’m sure that what I said was incoherent. During the next three and a half years, as I completed my legal studies, he taught and inspired me. I felt like part of his family. It was Les who persuaded me to take the Michigan Bar Examination before going off to graduate school in Tucson. He said it was the natural completion of my studies. He was right. He offered me a position with his firm, but I had to turn him down to pursue my dream. He made it clear that if I changed my mind, I would be welcomed back. He lent me money to move. He gave me the most important thing a person could have: self-esteem. He made me feel competent, worthy, and special. (This is important, because law school makes you feel incompetent, unworthy, and ordinary.)

In the fall of 1984, I fell under the tutelage of Joel Feinberg. I was in awe of him. It seemed crazy that I, a country boy of no particular merit, should be studying under such a great man. Joel invited me to his house several times, asked me to lecture for him when he couldn’t make it to class, and in general treated me like a son. He graciously served on all of my committees and discussed one of my seminar papers in a book (a signed copy of which he gave to me). I was honored to have him supervise my Ph.D. dissertation, the topic of which (constitutional interpretation) he had suggested during an office conversation. Joel helped me get my first teaching job. To show you what kind of person he was, he called me the evening of my qualifying exam. He said that he just wanted me to know that everyone on the committee thought I had done a superb job. He didn’t want me to think I had scraped by or anything. This was supererogatory. Joel would say that he was only doing his duty. He would be wrong. I kept in touch with Joel for many years. Every October, for his birthday, I wrote him a long letter. He always responded—until a year ago. Joel died this past March at the age of 77. I was recently asked to write the entry on Joel for the second edition of Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Needless to say, I am honored to do so.

In January 1990, having completed my first semester as a tenure-track professor, I wrote to Irving M. Copi of The University of Hawaii at Manoa with suggestions about how to improve his book Informal Logic, which I had just used in my Critical Thinking course. I had no idea whether Irving was still alive—if he was, he was old—but I thought I’d write. Irving, then 72, was not put off by my twenty-two page critical letter. He wrote back right away, thanking me for the assistance. This started a long and lively correspondence. At first, Irving signed his letters “Irving Copi.” Eventually, it became “Irving,” and finally “Irv.” Not long after we began corresponding, he asked me whether I’d like to join him as coauthor of Informal Logic. I was delighted to accept—and not just because it would make me wealthy. Our publisher, Macmillan, flew me to New York City, where I spent time with Irving. What a wonderful man! He was warm, self-effacing, and witty. He told me a great story at dinner one evening. Early in his career, not long after the first edition of his classic textbook Introduction to Logic was published, he went to a philosophical conference. An established philosopher saw his name tag and said, “Say, I’ve seen your book. I’ve been wondering, is your name pronounced ‘Copi’ as in sloppy, or ‘Copi’ as in dopey?” I roared. This is a man who is praised in Bertrand Russell’s autobiography, a man who taught logic to more people than anyone in the history of the world except Aristotle. That I was talking to him, much less collaborating with him on a book project, was absurd. Irving died two years ago at the age of 85. Our correspondence fills a fat notebook.

Les, Joel, and Irv. Three men who owed me nothing but gave me much. There’s something else they have in common. All three are, or were, Jews. When I went off to law school in August 1979, I didn’t know what a Jew was. Now I do. A Jew is someone who takes you under his wing. A Jew is someone who treats you like a son. A Jew is someone who teaches you, inspires you, and helps you. If you say anything bad about Jews in my presence, I’ll punch your lights out.

[Tolik]

Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Philosophy
Department of Philosophy and Humanities
The University of Texas at Arlington

His university page: http://www.uta.edu/philosophy/faculty/burgess-jackson/

He teaches courses in Logic, Ethics, Philosophy of Religion, Biomedical Ethics, and Philosophy of Law. He has degrees in political science, history, law, and philosophy. Among his publications are a textbook (Informal Logic, 3d ed., coauthored with the late Irving M. Copi), a monograph (Rape: A Philosophical Investigation), an anthology (A Most Detestable Crime: New Philosophical Essays on Rape), and many articles, book chapters, and reviews.

His current work is in normative ethical theory.  A 15,000-word essay, "Deontological Egoism," has just been published in Social Theory and Practice: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal of Social Philosophy.  Burgess-Jackson has many heroes, including Epicurus, David Hume, Friedrich Nietzsche, J. L. Mackie, Richard A. Posner, and Lance Armstrong.  A native Michigander, he lives in beautiful Fort Worth, Texas, with his canine companions, Sophie and Shelbie, who ensure that he gets plenty of exercise.

His blog: http://analphilosopher.blogspot.com

His archive at the TechCentralStation: http://www2.techcentralstation.com/1051/searchauthor.jsp?Bioid=BIOJACKSONKEITH

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[TexasRepublic]

I’ll punch your lights out.

Texas philosophy in a nutshell. I approve!

[Tolik]

I think you will like this one. :^)

[Alouette]

All three are, or were, Jews.

What kind of Jews? Religious, practicing Jews or just "Jews" because they were born that way?

If they weren't observant Jews so then how would make them any different from, say, non-observant Catholic Italians, or non-observant Buddhist Japanese, or non-observant Hindu Indians?

I understand that in the NYPD Detective Bureau an older cop who is a mentor for a rookie is called a "rabbi" even if he is not Jewish.

I ask all FReepers to pray for the safety of my son in the IDF, who is on duty in the Jordan Valley.

FRmail me to be added or removed from this Judaic/pro-Israel ping list.

WARNING: This is a high volume ping list

[wideawake]

On Wall Street a older guy who is perceived as more of a mentor than a taskmaster to a younger guy is called his "rabbi" as well.

[SevenofNine]

That is true Alouette I remember episode of Law and Order one of Rookie cops call Capt cragen Rabbi he is Irish Cathoic LOL!

This way before Lennie Briscoe Season 3 episode like Season 1 with that loser Max Greevy and Mike Logan