Donald Keefer
Donald Keefer joined the RISD faculty in 1988 with a PhD in philosophy from Temple University. His variety of courses has covered the history of philosophy, aesthetics, theories of semiotics, the nature of wisdom and philosophical questions regarding death, dying and the dead. On a lighter note, he teaches a Wintersession course that uses episodes of the X-files and Star Trek as vehicles to introduce students to the problems of philosophy.
Keefer has written on topics ranging from the aesthetics of music, technology and culture to the critique of postmodern theory, semiotics of design, Frederick Douglass and, most recently, the philosophy of death. He is currently writing a book examining the philosophical dimensions of loss and mourning.
His paper, “Speaking Well of the Dead: On the aesthetics of eulogies,” forthcoming in Sophia International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, Metaphysical Theology and Ethics, emerged from one of the key issues in a chapter on the meanings of how we mourn the loss of those important to us. He is also an accomplished classical guitarist.
Academic areas of interest
- Philosophy of Death
- Ethics and the Contradictions of Corporate Personhood
- The Confluence of Evolutionary Psychology and Philosophy
- Aesthetics
- Linguistics and Theories of the Sign
- American Pragmatism
Courses
Fall 2023 Courses
HPSS S070-01
AESTHETIC CHALLENGES
SECTION DESCRIPTION
Philosophy, art, and design can all be means to pursue understanding. In this course, we will investigate topics that are of mutual interest to philosophers, artists, and designers. This is not a course in the philosophy of art and design; rather, we will pursue philosophical questions through art and design, in addition to traditional philosophical inquiry. Potential topics include the nature and variety of meaning, the role of embodiment in human experience, what it means for an object or a person to have a purpose, and the metaphysics of personal identity. For each topic we will consider a range of philosophers' views, then we will look to artworks and design objects themselves to see what alternate perspectives, insights, and challenges they offer. Students will be required to complete weekly readings, participate in class discussion, complete three short writing assignments, and present to the class at least once.
Prerequisite: HPSS-S101 for Undergraduate Students
Elective
HPSS S070-02
AESTHETIC CHALLENGES
SECTION DESCRIPTION
Philosophy, art, and design can all be means to pursue understanding. In this course, we will investigate topics that are of mutual interest to philosophers, artists, and designers. This is not a course in the philosophy of art and design; rather, we will pursue philosophical questions through art and design, in addition to traditional philosophical inquiry. Potential topics include the nature and variety of meaning, the role of embodiment in human experience, what it means for an object or a person to have a purpose, and the metaphysics of personal identity. For each topic we will consider a range of philosophers' views, then we will look to artworks and design objects themselves to see what alternate perspectives, insights, and challenges they offer. Students will be required to complete weekly readings, participate in class discussion, complete three short writing assignments, and present to the class at least once.
Prerequisite: HPSS-S101 for Undergraduate Students
Elective
HPSS S450-01
MATRIX OF WISDOM: PHILOSOPHY & SCI-FI
SECTION DESCRIPTION
Philosophy, the quest for wisdom, seeks answers to life's deepest and most enduring questions. How should we live? What is the truth? What is real? What and who are we in a universe of things unlike ourselves? At its core, philosophy is a discursive, argumentative probing that pokes at our fundamental assumptions about the world. The philosophical mind, of course, welcomes the challenge. In addition to philosophers raising these questions, fiction has been a vehicle for raising these issues and challenging the status quo mindset of its readers. Science fiction in particular, has long been occupied with questions regarding man's place in the universe and the limits and potentials of science. While such philosophical probity rarely makes for great television viewing, there are a few shows, such as Star Trek, The X-Files and others, that are distinguished by their consistent philosophical texts in conjunction with the study and discussion of selected episodes from these extraordinary television series. Participation, several short papers and group presentations are required.
Prerequisite: HPSS-S101 for Undergraduate Students
Elective
Wintersession 2024 Courses
HPSS W157-101
YOU MUST BE JOKING! THE PHILOSOPHY OF LAUGHTER
SECTION DESCRIPTION
Explain a joke; kill it? We'll keep it alive on life support in this short philosophical survey of what's funny. We will consider a range of theories of laughter and humor, from both analytic and practical perspective. To evaluate these theories, we will apply them to various types of humor, such as comedies, jokes, and especially in visual illustration such as cartoons, and the like. The serious business of analysis will share the stage with our engagement with funny business as well as creating our own. Throughout, we will consider the ethical issues of humor and laughter as they arise in the theories and the practices of humor. Course requires a sense of humor and will involve active participation, even performing humor. Several papers and a project of either analyzing something comedic or developing your own.
Elective
Spring 2024 Courses
HPSS S240-01
WHAT IS WISDOM?
SECTION DESCRIPTION
This course investigates the questions and answers posed by sources chosen across history, across the world, drawn from philosophy, world religions, and psychology regarding the nature of wisdom. Methodological frameworks from transcendentalism, existentialism, pragmatism, and recent cognitive psychology will frame these explorations. The course will involve lectures, discussions, and student presentations. It will require short papers, tests, and a final project with presentation.
Prerequisite: HPSS-S101 for Undergraduate Students
Elective