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Introducing Dr. Patricia Grosse, Assistant Professor of Philosophy

August 2, 2018
Finlandia University is happy to welcome new philosophy professor Dr. Patricia Grosse to its family.

Grosse, who moved to Hancock from Philadelphia will be teaching Intro to Philosophy, Ethics, and Philosophy of Sex and Love this coming semester.

“I was excited when I saw the position at Finlandia because it’s a small school in a small town and it seems like the university is incredibly dedicated to educating their students,” said Grosse.

Grosse grew up in Tybee Island, GA and earned her associates degree from Oxford College of Emory University, her B.A. in Philosophy and Religion at Emory University, and her Master’s and Ph.D. in Philosophy from Villanova University. She previously worked at Drexel University before coming to Finlandia.

A love for philosophy

Grosse fell in love with philosophy during her undergrad experience at Emory.

“What I like about philosophy is that it’s every day,” Grosse said. “I think many people live their lives by participating in a philosophical tradition even if they don’t realize they’re doing so. Whether you’re a biology, english or nursing major, you’re doing a kind of philosophy because you’re inquiring into the way the world works.

“Philosophy is just the love of wisdom, so if you love wisdom, then you’re a philosopher.”

Grosse also answered the age-old question, what do you do with a degree in philosophy?

“There are a lot of jokes about degrees in philosophy,” she said. “But the statistics show that people with degrees in philosophy, more than almost any other liberal arts major, make more at their mid-year career path. The reason for that is philosophy teaches you how to think critically.

“You can become a business person, a teacher, or even a philosophy professor, although a small percentage of philosophy majors actually do that. Many people go into law school; many philosophers do very well on the LSATs. They also go into things like medicine. It helps you work on your critical thinking abilities to such a degree that you can succeed in almost any field.”

Interest in Supernatural and Sci-Fi

While Grosse is teaching, she’ll also be conducting research for a project based on the TV show Supernatural.

“I have a strong interest in pop culture and philosophy, and go to a conference every year in Florida,” Grosse said. “My ultimate goal is to teach courses in pop culture and philosophy so I can actually bring students with me to the conference.”

While Grosse enjoys all things science fiction and fantasy, she also has a strong interest in the theologian Saint Augustine of Hippo, whose writings influenced the development of modern Catholicism. She is currently working on a book about Saint Augustine’s mother, Saint Monica titled Moving St. Monica’s Bones. The book will detail the movements Saint Monica took in her life to follow her son and the movements of her body after her death to various Catholic churches in Italy.

Besides researching and teaching, Grosse also plans on getting out to explore the area.

“I’m so excited to be a part of the community and learn more about the running and hiking trails,” said Grosse.

When asked what else she thought students and faculty should know she shared some more information about herself.

“I play ukulele and the cello and have a cat named Loki who is very cute and very orange,” Grosse said. “I really like science fiction and fantasy and I did not see infinity wars because I do not want to be depressed about what happens, so please don’t make me.”

Dr. Grosse can be reached at patricia.grosse@finlandia.edu.

 

 

 

 

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