John J. Kaag

John J. Kaag is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Massachusetts Lowell within the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. His academic home resides in the Department of Philosophy where he teaches courses on Kant, Peirce, Dewey, James, Royce, and Asian philosophy.

His research spans American Philosophy, Pragmatism, and Aesthetics with significant contributions to the philosophy of mind, ethics, and moral psychology. Kaag's work frequently bridges classical American thought with contemporary issues including drone warfare, technological ethics, and higher education critique. His publications demonstrate a distinctive blend of scholarly rigor and accessible public philosophy through venues like Times Higher Education and Chronicle of Higher Education.

His recent scholarship trends toward interdisciplinary applications of pragmatism in technology ethics and personal narrative philosophy, notably in his acclaimed books Hiking with Nietzsche (2018) and American Philosophy: A Love Story (2016). These works synthesize historical scholarship with existential inquiry, examining figures like Nietzsche and Royce through autobiographical lenses.

Kaag maintains active engagement with academic service through editorial contributions to journals including Transactions of the Charles S. Peirce Society and The Pluralist. His teaching extends beyond traditional philosophy into collaborations with engineering disciplines on ethical design frameworks.

His educational background includes a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Oregon (2007), an M.A. from Pennsylvania State University (2003), and specialized training in International Relations at the University of Cambridge (2005). His doctoral work examined "The UN in History, Theory, and Practice" while his master's thesis explored aesthetic theory through "Re-turning: A Philosophic Revisiting of the Aesthetic".