Our world is a complex, confusing place. In this course, we will explore the possibility that a basic knowledge of applied logic can help us come closer to a shared understanding of what is real and what is important, in science and technology, in politics, in creative endeavors, and in our everyday lives. Each of our eight meetings will include a presentation of basic concepts, a Logic Doctor Clinic Session, and an opportunity to think together about some of the pressing issues of the day. Participants will be invited to share articles they would like to submit to logical analysis and evaluation.

Tom Hodgson is a graduate of Williams College and holds an M.A. in Philosophy from Yale University. He is currently an Instructor Emeritus at Phillips Academy (!976-2017) where he taught courses in ethics, logic, political philosophy, existentialism, metaphysics and theory of knowledge. There he also coached multiple sports and advised generations of students. Career highlights: Newman Teaching Foundation; Chair, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies; Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Williams College; Founder, SquashBusters Lawrence; Director of the B.A.S.K interdisciplinary summer program in Kunming, China.

Tom is currently an assistant squash coach at Williams College, and an instructor with the OLLIs at Dartmouth and at Berkshire Community College. Recently, Tom has taught OLLI courses on democracy (We The People?: Democracy on Trial); on human rights (Rights or Wrong: An Inquiry into the Idea of Human Rights); on sports (Only a Game?: Reflections on the Significance of Sports); and a course on death and dying (Molecules, Memories, and Immortality: Reflections on the Ends of Life).

Tom is a lifelong amateur athlete, angler, music lover, banjo player, and hiker. He lives with Susan, his life partner of 50 years, and with their two dogs, on the side of Mount Greylock in Lanesborough.

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