James McRae

James McRae

Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies
 WH 212
Department(s): Classics, Philosophy, and Religious Studies


Biography:

Dr. James McRae serves as a Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies and as Chair of the Department of Classics, Philosophy, and Religious Studies at Westminster College. He began his study of philosophy at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1998. Because of his interest in Asian and comparative philosophy, he moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he earned his M.A. (2001) and Ph.D. (2006) in comparative philosophy with specializations in ethics and Japanese philosophy from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Dr. McRae joined the Classics, Philosophy, and Religious Studies department at Westminster College in the fall of 2006.

Dr. McRae specializes in Asian and comparative philosophy, particularly the areas of ethics (normative and environmental), Japanese philosophy (including Zen, the Kyoto school, and bushido), and philosophy of film. His publications include the books Japanese Environmental Philosophy (with J. Baird Callicott, Oxford University Press, 2017), Environmental Philosophy in the Asian Traditions of Thought (with J. Baird Callicott, SUNY Press, 2014) and The Philosophy of Ang Lee (with Robert Arp and Adam Barkman, University Press of Kentucky, 2013).

An avid martial artist since 1995, Dr. McRae holds black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo, and a Level 3 Instructor certification in Jeet Kune Do.