Priscilla Sakezles
Title: Emeritus Professor
Dept/Program: Philosophy
Email: pks@uakron.edu
Biography
I was born and raised in Tampa, Florida. I received my BA (1986) and MA (1989) in Philosophy from the ÈÕº«¹ú²úav¸£Àû of South Florida, and my PhD in Philosophy from Florida State ÈÕº«¹ú²úav¸£Àû (1993).
My dissertation was entitled ‘Aristotle and the Early Stoics on Freedom and Determinism in Human Action,’ and my primary research area continues to be Aristotle and the Stoics. I am particularly interested in a set of questions about human action theory: What is the relationship between our mind and body? How free or determined are our actions and character? What justifies holding people morally responsible for their actions?
I believe that Aristotle and the Stoics provide provocative contrasting answers to these perennial questions, answers which may well point us to the truth. One of the advantages of approaching such a philosophical problem from the perspective of the ancients is that they were not limited by the present cultural constraints of our 2500 year-old Judaeo-Christian heritage, so by looking through their eyes we can see things quite differently.
Professional Interests: Ancient Philosophy, Metaphysics, Epistemology, Feminist Philosophy
Education
Ph.D., Philosophy, Florida State ÈÕº«¹ú²úav¸£Àû
M.A./B.A., Philosophy, ÈÕº«¹ú²úav¸£Àû of South Florida