Most see philosophy as a vast, nebulous subject with little definition, but for Mark Navin,  Assistant Professor of Philosophy, the subject’s promise of clarity and precision is what lured him in.

“I was drawn to the way in which philosophy attempts to make explicit the background assumptions that govern our thinking about what we can know, what we ought to do and what we can reasonably hope,” he said.

Navin obtained his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and went on to obtain his master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. He landed his job at Oakland University through a national search process.

“I applied for the job, and some combination of skill, fit and luck helped me to land it,” he said.

Outside of the classroom, Navin and his wife have two children with one on the way. As a family, he likes to take trips to the zoo, science museum, Henry Ford (museum), or other local attractions. When he has time to himself, he likes fixing up and renovating his family’s 1920s Royal Oak bungalow.

For a lot of people, philosophy isn’t their cup of tea. But Navin actually encourages his students to sit down and have some.

“My favorite thing he ever said was ‘you’re paying like two grand to take this class, if you don’t feel like you’re getting everything you need from it, we can meet up outside of class. Maybe Starbucks and Socrates?’ ” said Megan Jackson, a sophomore majoring in nursing.

Navin’s goal inside the classroom is to give his students a different philosophical experience.

“While I don’t use my classroom to proselytize for particular philosophical positions, I strongly believe that the activity of philosophy can benefit anyone and I work hard to make these benefits accessible to my students,” he said.

This semester, Navin is teaching two courses on campus: “Introduction to Ethics,” which is PHL 103 and a course for the Honors College, called “Community and Moral Progress,” which is HC 206.