Naomi Zack facts for kids

Naomi Zack is a smart professor who teaches philosophy at Lehman College in New York City. She used to teach at other big universities too, like the University of Albany and the University of Oregon.

Professor Zack has written many books, including thirteen regular books and three textbooks. She has also helped edit five collections of writings. She has published lots of articles and chapters, especially about topics like race, feminism, and natural disasters.

She works to make sure women and other groups are well-represented in the field of philosophy. She also helps guide several important journals, like Hypatia: A Journal of Feminist Philosophy.

Naomi Zack's Journey in Education

Naomi Zack started her college journey at New York University in 1966. She earned a special scholarship from New York State to attend. While there, she joined a respected academic group called Phi Beta Kappa.

Earning a Doctorate in Philosophy

In 1970, she completed her highest degree, a doctorate in philosophy, at Columbia University. Her main project was about how we gain knowledge, focusing on the ideas of a philosopher named C. I. Lewis.

Teaching at Universities

After finishing her studies, Professor Zack began teaching. She was an assistant professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for a year. In 1998, she became an assistant professor at the University of Albany. She also joined the Department of Women's Studies there in 1993.

She was promoted to associate professor in 1998. By 2000, she became a full professor. In 2001, she moved to the University of Oregon to teach philosophy. Later, in 2019, she joined the philosophy team at Lehman College.

Special Awards and Lectures

In 2019, Professor Zack received the Romanell - Phi Beta Kappa Professorship award. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, her special lectures for this award were moved to 2022. These talks were titled "A Philosophical View of Intersectionality." In 2021, she was invited to give another important talk, the John Dewey Lecture, called "Philosophy and Me."

Professor Zack's Research Areas

Professor Zack studies many different areas in philosophy. Her research includes the philosophy of race, the philosophy of identity (what makes us who we are), feminist theory, and the history of philosophy.

Understanding Disaster Ethics

In her book Ethics for Disaster, Professor Zack looked at how we understand and react to disasters. She tried to create a clear way to think about disasters and a set of rules for "disaster ethics." She believes that governments have a duty to help people after a disaster. They also have a duty to plan ahead for different types of disasters.

Zack thinks governments should provide the best help they could have planned for during a disaster. She also shows how the way we talk about "disasters" can change based on people's politics, race, or wealth.

Justice and Rights: Black and White

In another important book, White Privilege and Black Rights: The Injustice of U.S. Police Racial Profiling and Homicide, Professor Zack talks about civil rights, unfairness, and making things right. She explains two ways to think about justice. One way is to imagine perfect justice, even if it never fully happens. The other way is to start by looking at what is unfair and then try to fix it.

Professor Zack encourages people to focus on "black rights" instead of "white privilege." She explains that often, what is taken away from black people is not a special privilege, but basic human rights that everyone should have.