Laura Mueller

I am currently an Assistant Profess of Philosophy at West Texas A&M University. As a professor in a very small philosophy program, I have the joy of teaching a wide variety of courses, from Introduction to Philosophy to upper-level courses on Education and Culture. My favorite courses are the ones where I can really "play" with the assignments, trying out new educational methods that break the barrier between what goes in in the classroom, and life outside of it. I see philosophy as a way of life as a pursuit for meaning in individual lives, social life, and as a way to embrace the sublime dignity of each person. After years of teaching the educational philosophy of Kant, Dewey, von Humboldt, and Illich, I have started to shift my research to philosophy of education as part of philosophy of culture; I want to renew Bildung within higher educational institutions and communities. As such, my research projects and teaching practices are very closely tied together. Part of this connection is working with Kant's educational paradox: how can we cultivate autonomy and freedom while exerting external authority? Or, as Kant says, "How do I cultivate freedom under restraint?"

In my spare time, I enjoy cooking vegan and vegetarian food, biking, hiking, running, swimming, painting, reading fiction, and playing with pitbulls.