My name is John Basl. I was born in upstate New York (Dryden) but spent my formative years in Boston. I attended Northeastern University and graduated in 2006. Currently, I’m a philosophy graduate student, working towards a PhD, at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. My main areas of interest are in the philosophy of science, philosophy of biology, bioethics, and environmental ethics.
I spend most of my time doing, teaching, talking, or thinking about philosophy. In particular I focus on a set of issues in the philosophy of biology concerning the levels of selection and a set of issues in ethics concerning the relationship between natural selection and biological functions in non-sentient organisms (and collections). I also maintain (or fail to maintain) a blog. So far, the content is mostly about the graduate school application process. I have a couple of posts about technology and a few other random topics. I predict that in the future it will be about the job application process. I guess it helps me to alleviate the stress of such things. Occasionally, I’ll write about some philosophical issues I’m thinking about.
Outside of philosophy, I love to spend time with my fiance Evelyn, and friends. In 2008 I became obsessed with bouldering (a form of rock climbing) and spend a lot of time doing that. I enjoy outdoor activities and sports (ultimate frisbee and basketball in particular). I spent a lot of time as an undergraduate playing foosball and played competitively. I still enjoy foosball whenever I get the chance to play. I also very much enjoy good beer and long, luxurious shaves with a straight razor (though I don’t mix the two).
Inevitably this website will include a picture of me in deep concentration. I’m trying to put it off as long as possible.
About
My name is John Basl. I was born in upstate New York (Dryden) but spent my formative years in Boston. I attended Northeastern University and graduated in 2006. Currently, I’m a philosophy graduate student, working towards a PhD, at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. My main areas of interest are in the philosophy of science, philosophy of biology, bioethics, and environmental ethics.
I spend most of my time doing, teaching, talking, or thinking about philosophy. In particular I focus on a set of issues in the philosophy of biology concerning the levels of selection and a set of issues in ethics concerning the relationship between natural selection and biological functions in non-sentient organisms (and collections). I also maintain (or fail to maintain) a blog. So far, the content is mostly about the graduate school application process. I have a couple of posts about technology and a few other random topics. I predict that in the future it will be about the job application process. I guess it helps me to alleviate the stress of such things. Occasionally, I’ll write about some philosophical issues I’m thinking about.
Outside of philosophy, I love to spend time with my fiance Evelyn, and friends. In 2008 I became obsessed with bouldering (a form of rock climbing) and spend a lot of time doing that. I enjoy outdoor activities and sports (ultimate frisbee and basketball in particular). I spent a lot of time as an undergraduate playing foosball and played competitively. I still enjoy foosball whenever I get the chance to play. I also very much enjoy good beer and long, luxurious shaves with a straight razor (though I don’t mix the two).
Inevitably this website will include a picture of me in deep concentration. I’m trying to put it off as long as possible.
You can find me on Facebook and Twitter.