Being & Knowing
Edition: 1
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Pages: 165
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Being & Knowing is a modular, accessible eTextbook that introduces philosophy as a living practice of inquiry rather than a static set of doctrines. Organized around two integrated units—Being (Metaphysics) and Knowing (Epistemology)—the text guides students through enduring questions about reality, identity, truth, and knowledge in a rapidly changing world.
Designed for first-year seminars, general education, and interdisciplinary humanities courses, the eTextbook works seamlessly across face-to-face, online, hybrid, and HyFlex formats. Its modular structure allows instructors to assign full units or select individual modules, discussions, and workshops.
Each module follows a consistent, student-friendly design with guided readings, short discussions, low-stakes quizzes, and scaffolded project workshops, allowing instructors to scale rigor while reducing cognitive overload. The text addresses common challenges in introductory philosophy—student disengagement, passive learning, and difficulty scaffolding major projects—while supporting diverse learning styles.
Unit 1: Being (Metaphysics) explores reality, God, evil, the self, free will, and the good life, culminating in a Video Essay that replaces the traditional term paper with a media-based, philosophically rigorous capstone.
Unit 2: Knowing (Epistemology) traces how knowledge is formed, tested, and contested—from rationalism and empiricism to science, faith, technology, and posthumanism—culminating in a Philosophical Essay that emphasizes argumentation, application, and intellectual humility.
Together, the two units present metaphysics and epistemology as mutually informing modes of inquiry, modeling philosophy not as dogma, but as an engaged, applied, and relevant human practice.
Module 1: What is Philosophy?
Module 2: What is Reality?
Module 3: Does God Exist?
Module 4: The Problem of Evil
Module 5: The Self
Module 6: Free Will
Module 7: The Good Life
Module 8: Critical Thinking
Module 9: Rationalism & Objectivity
Module 10: Empiricism & Subjectivity
Module 11: Pragmatism & Pluralism
Module 12: Science & Pseudoscience
Module 13: Faith & Mysticism
Module 14: Posthumanism & Transcendence
Albert R. Spencer is a Teaching Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Portland State University, where he has been a faculty member since 2007. With over 15 years of experience in higher education, he specializes in American Pragmatism, Ethics, and the Philosophy of Games, integrating innovative pedagogy and digital learning into his teaching. He also serves as an Online Instructor at Portland Community College, designing and delivering courses in ethics, critical thinking, and the history of philosophy.
Dr. Spencer is the author of multiple textbooks published by Kendall Hunt, including The Philosophy of War (2022), The Philosophy of Sex & Love (2021), and The Philosophy of Sports (2020). His forthcoming books, The Philosophy of Games (2025) and The Philosophy of Role-Playing Games: Art, Inquiry, & Ritual (Bloomsbury, 2025), reflect his deep engagement with game studies and the philosophical dimensions of interactive storytelling. He is also the author of American Pragmatism: An Introduction (Polity Press, 2020).
His research explores the intersections of philosophy, ethics, and gaming culture, with a particular focus on role-playing games as vehicles for philosophical inquiry and ethical reflection. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes, including forthcoming articles on Indigenous strategies in RPGs, care ethics in gaming, and William James & Swami Vivekananda’s philosophical convergence.
In addition to his academic work, Dr. Spencer is an experienced course designer and instructional technologist, adept at leveraging AI applications, learning management systems, and video conferencing tools to enhance student engagement. He has designed and taught courses on American Philosophy, Environmental Ethics, Military Ethics, and Latinx Philosophy, among others.
Dr. Spencer holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Philosophy from Baylor University and a B.A. in English & Philosophy from Georgetown College.
For more information, visit the following links:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/albert-spencer-75729120/
PhilPapers: philpeople.org/profiles/albert-spencer
Faculty Page: Portland State University Profile.
PSU Art & Social Practice (Interview): psusocialpractice.org/role-playing-for-life/
“Who Am I? What Do I Believe? And Why Do I Believe It?” (KH Publisher, Co.): youtube.com/watch?v=GV6wGMq3oBg
“Dungeons & Dragons & Philosophy, Part 1” (Anarres Project): youtube.com/watch?v=Nml0Wh_6F3s&t=5s
“Dungeons & Dragons & Philosophy, Part 2” (Anarres Project): youtube.com/watch?v=vdN0Uoj3KE8&t=2s