David Bowen

Journey of the Mind

David Bowen
Professor of Philosophy and Humanities, South Campus

On the first day of class, students have no idea what to expect. Philosophy and Humanities Professor David Bowen finds their image of a philosopher is usually a “stereotypical character wearing a beard and living in a cave,” he said.

The son of a mining company manager and kindergarten teacher, Bowen’s interest in philosophy and the history of art and ancient civilizations began while attending Macalester College in his home state of Minnesota. He researched universities all over the world, finally settling on the University of Louvain in Belgium. Founded in the 15th century, the institution was rich with history, much like the western European countries he wanted to see and experience.

Bowen tries to show his students that philosophical questions are “relevant questions about how you should lead your life, what can you trust in terms of arguments and knowledge, and how you can think for yourself.”

“Nothing prepares you for having to communicate to a group of people who have no interest or no previous experience with philosophy. This became the challenge, to communicate not only information but also an appreciation and a love for the discipline.”

Bowen has met this challenge time and again. His passion is catching on in his South Campus classrooms and others, as well as in after-hours “Philosophy Slams” at the Fuel Coffeehouse, a local café. Attendance has topped 100 for these lively debates organized by Bowen with colleagues from the University of North Florida and Jacksonville University.

Extended studies trips allow humanities students to go right to the source. Last spring Bowen and art professor Stephen Heywood took a group of 25 to Greece and Rome. A trip to northern Italy is scheduled for summer.

“You can’t compare walking on the Parthenon (Acropolis in Athens) with looking at a slide show,” Bowen said. “To be able to teach where they can immediately connect with the history, the culture and the art is so important,” he added.

Whether they are standing where Socrates stood or sitting in a classroom, students are making this connection. As Jonathan Berlin, a student of Bowen’s who plans to follow in his teacher’s actual footsteps and study philosophy at the University of Louvain, says, “Not only is he a fantastic instructor, he has also been a mentor.”

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