While there are many Michael Roths in this world, Michael Theodore Roth is the author of the poetics of resistence, Heidegger’s line
He majored in philosophy as an undergraduate, and got a masters and a phD in continental philosophy.
He is a commited left-wing activist.
He was hired to “teach” philosophy at the University of Illinois and University of Wisconsin, and possibly other schools like Illinois State University (or some University with Illinois in the name).
nupress.northwestern.edu/title.c … 101-1318-X
“Roth argues, with Derrida against Heidegger, that crossing this line is not a move into irrationalism (to say nothing of National Socialism”
amazon.com/Poetics-Resistanc … 0810113171
He “taught” philosophy to students, and made remarks that resulted in complaints to the Department chair that he was using the philosophy classroom as an opportunity to indoctrinate his leftists activists political beleifs in an alarming manner described by Dinesh D’Souza, Roger Kimball, Christine HOff Sommers, and David Horowitz.
I am a former student of Michael Roth, I took his course, Introduction to Philosophy. I found he made a lot of remarks I found offensive, and taught material that I regard as off-topic, which the department chair shared my concern. The philosophy department chair agreed that Roth’s using the philosophy classroom to talk about the Black panthers, the movement, its origins and aims, and how Cointel pro infiltrated, harassed, and discredited their movement, including assassinations of key leaders, to the exclusion of any discussion and readings of Plato and Aristotle, does not seem germane to students taking their first and only philosophy class.
I personally would like to ask Michael Roth whether the complaints I raised with the department philosophy undergraduate chair, Robert Wengert, was communicated to him, and if so, what his responses are.
vpaa.uillinois.edu/reports_r … ngert.html
I have no way of reaching him. No one at Univ of Illinois or Wisconsin has his contact information that they are willing to share with me (if they do have it), and they do not even know if he is teaching at another University or college.
What conclusion does Roth want his students to draw, when he spends no time on Plato and Aristotle in an introduction to philosophy class, but plenty of classroom time and lecture on the Black Panthers and Cointelpro? The conclusion I’ve drawn is that the Black panthers and Cointel pro are more important topics for philosophy than Plato and Aristotle.