Professor Spotlight

By Bridget Cook

Two cups of Italian espresso each morning energize Rosemont College’s new philosophy professor, Dr. Alan Preti, for the introductory philosophy, logic, philosophy of religion and foundations of western culture classes he teaches here.

Before Rosemont, he taught at Muhlenburg College in Allentown, PA, then in the Philadelphia area. He earned his own undergraduate degree at Southern Illinois University, where unexpectedly, philosophy, as a minor, played second fiddle to his music major. He stayed at SIU for a master’s degree in philosophy, then moved to Philadelphia, where he earned his doctorate at Temple University.

“The liveliness of the east coast,” perhaps, is what drew him back from the Midwest. Preti grew up in Maryland, and now resides in the Philadelphia area. He finds it a “vibrant community, [with] a lot to do.”  

Compared to the other institutions, Dr. Preti finds that Rosemont College community is more closely knit and one where he feels “a little more at home.” The students, he finds, have “more camaraderie,” but he hesitated to impute that to the single-sex environment, suggesting instead, that it may be “because of the size of the college.”

What motivates Dr. Preti is his desire to “share the joys” that he found in his discipline, and “to impart the insights that [he] gleans from philosophy.” He finds teaching to be “an inspiring job,” with a responsibility “to inspire others.”

When he snags a moment to himself, Dr. Preti pursues his passion for music. Up until recently, he played rhythm guitar in a band. Additionally, he plays classical and jazz piano, rock and roll and blue guitar. Having “played professionally for a number of years,” Dr. Preti is implementing his experience with Rosemont’s own Petaltones.

Of the classical composers, Dr. Preti likes Beethoven the best, an appreciation he has developed from childhood, when he was “attracted to his symphonies.” The Grateful Dead are his favorite rock ‘n roll band, Grateful Dead. He finds them “interesting, because they had absorbed so many different styles in American music. Through them, I was exposed to a lot of music that I wouldn’t have been exposed to, country, blue grass, early blues, jazz.”

Dr. Preti’s hobbies include cooking, baking and riding bikes. He bakes his own bread, as well as sweets, cakes and cookies. A second-generation Italian-American, he makes his own pizza and tomato sauce. His preference is Italian food, though he will “try just about anything.”

This well-rounded professor is combining his philosophic and musical interests in an academic study of the “relationship between music and morality.” He will question whether there is “any connection between music and acting morally” and if “certain kinds of music conducive to a moral life.” Another project underway is a book regarding “comparative ethics, ethics in different traditions.”

Philosophy is far more than just an academic discipline. Dr. Preti believes in its value for all individuals. The “reflective lifestyle,” or the “examined life,” he says makes one “more aware of the assumptions and presuppositions that guide one’s life, [and] helps one’ beliefs become truly one’s own.” Thus, the philosophy student is most truly independent and autonomous. She builds an ability to “think about the fundamental questions of human existence.” Philosophy, Dr. Preti explains, is “the discipline that deals with the most fundamental questions, such as: what is the nature of reality? What is knowledge? What can we know about the world? Does God exist? What is the nature of the good?” More pragmatically, he says, the philosophy student builds skills that lead to success on standardized exams and in the work force. Studies have shown that the discipline of philosophy produces higher scores on the LSAT, GRE, etc. than other disciplines, because, in part, of its emphasis on argument analysis. Dr. Preti also points out that the study of philosophy will build “skills that you take with you to life in general; problem solving, deliberative judgments,” etc. Employers are increasingly interested in “hiring people whose skills include analytical thinking, creative problem solving, the ability to see connections where others don't and the ability to appreciate multiple perspectives.” Most importantly, however, is the need for “independent” thinkers. Dr. Preti stresses the growing value of someone who “achieves a certain level of intellectual independence , [who] comes to believe something because one has thought it through for oneself, not because it's always been believed, or because it's what one was taught, and so on.”

Questioning, thinking, drawing conclusions and making decisions about the many concerns of our time has for many people, been outsourced. It is time, for each person to open her eyes and mouth, take in the facts, ask the questions and analyze the problems. Each person must think for herself, and strive for the answers to the “fundamental questions of human existence.” Every person must live the “examined life.”

Dr. Preti will be teaching Introduction to Philosophy in Fall 2009, followed by Introduction to Logic in the spring.