Teacher Feature: ED ABPLANALP

“The unexamined life is not worth living” said Aristotle. Ed Abplanalp, a living philosopher, displays these words on the homepage of his personal website, www.philosophered.com.

So. Let’s examine his life.

Abplanalp is a full-time philosophy and religion professor here at Illinois Central College. He has taught or currently teaches Philosophy of Religion, Comparative Religions, Introduction to Philosophy, Ethics, Business Ethics, and Logic at ICC.

Having earned three bachelor degrees from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania – Mathematics, Geography, and Philosophy –  and a certification to teach secondary education in the state, Abplanalp started out as a substitute teacher in Pennsylvania. “It was really awful,” he said, “probably the worst time I’ve had in my life.”

From the trenches of substitute teacher life, he moved on to assistant teach at University of Nebraska – Lincoln, where he earned his Masters and Ph. D. in Philosophy. He later instructed or lectured at five schools over eight years, including The College of St. Mary and University of Nebraska – Omaha.

In addition to teaching experience in over 10 subjects, Abplanalp has been published and has presented his work across the country. For the philosophy field, he presented “Divine Omniscience: Pike vs. Plantiga” at Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville, “George W. Bush vs. The Natural Environment” at Howard University in Washington D.C., and “Kant’s Anthropocentrism” at Seattle University, among many, many others.

He explores subjects outside his field as well, having published or presented more than 10 works on environmental justice and climate change, including ICC Lecture Arts Series’ “Environmental Justice: Think Globally, Act Locally” with fellow professor Bill Cook. He has also published numerous works on literature, race, and facial expressions.

Outside of work, Abplanalp likes “reading, good movies, hiking, writing poetry, camping, playing guitar, yoga, cooking and working out at the gym.” He is married and lives with his “beautiful wife and beautiful daughter” in Peoria. He digs driving around in ‘67 Shelby Mustang, hot tea in the morning, bubble baths, and local rock band Grand Slam. Some of his favorite philosophers are Immanuel Kant, John Rawls, and J.S. Mill. He has long, black hair and is very tall.

As an instructor, Abplanalp is everything a student needs: a man who truly knows his stuff, and uses a friendly, equal-ground method to get the students to know theirs. “I’m no better or smarter than any of you guys” he often proclaims to classes, setting a signature easy-going mood for his otherwise heavy lectures. “The best part about the job here at ICC,” he said, “is being able to help the kids who were, for whatever reason, less fortunate than others. I see the same amount of intelligence and drive in kids here as the ones I taught in universities…I like it here.”

Abplanalp isn’t a professor you should miss in your years at ICC. Whether it’s enrolling in one of his classes, attending the ICC Student Philosophy Association meetings, or catching him on campus, Ed Abplanalp will put you in the best possible of all worlds with his coolness. Read and learn more about him at www.philosophered.com.