Sven Arvidson

Sven Arvidson, PhD

Professor and Director, Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies
Associate Appointment, Philosophy

Interdisciplinary philosophy focus—human nature, ethics, pedagogy—especially attention. Directed Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies for 15 years and edits Issues in Interdisciplinary Studies (2017-)

Biography

Part of a large family, I was born and raised on the Maryland side of Washington D.C. As an undergrad, I couldn’t quite find adequate intellectual space within my biology major, even though I loved my years of biology, chemistry and physics. I changed to something called “Human Development,” an interdisciplinary degree stressing psychology, philosophy, anthropology, and the rest of the liberal arts and sciences. Now that I am a professor directing a program like the one that liberated that 20-year-old, I am awed by how the universe works (and how little we know about how it works).