Skip to main content
    Kent State University logo
    • Apply
    • Visit
    • Give Now
    • FlashLine Login
    • Calendars
    • Phone Directory
    • Maps & Directions
    • Search
    Department of Philosophy
    Menu Search
    • About
      Close
      • About Overview
      • Office Hours
      • Syllabi
      • Course Offerings by Semester
      • Full Course Catalog
    • Why Philosophy?
      Close
      • Why Philosophy? Overview
      • How Do I Declare a Major or Minor in Philosophy?
    • Undergraduate Programs
      Close
      • Undergraduate Programs Overview
      • Philosophy - B.A.
      • Philosophy - Minor
      • Bioethics and Health Humanities - Minor
      • Advising Information
      • Scholarships & Awards
    • Graduate Program
      Close
      • Graduate Program Overview
      • Philosophy - M.A.
      • Current Graduate Students
      • MA Program Handbook
      • Guidelines for Assessing Graduate Programs
      • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Events
      Close
      • Events Overview
      • Minorities and Philosophy (MAP) Meetings
      • Philosophy Graduate Student Conference
      • Veroni Lectures Series
      • 2015 Conference—Sellars in a New Generation
      • 2017 Conference—Husserl in a New Generation
    • Faculty
    • Staff Pages
    • FlashLine Login
    • Calendars
    • Phone Directory
    • Maps & Directions
    • Search
    • Apply
    • Visit
    • Give Now
    Live Chat
    Ikuenobe

    Polycarp A. Ikuenobe

    Professor
    Office Location:
    320
    Contact Information
    Email:
    pikuenob@kent.edu
    Phone:
    330-672-0278

    Polycarp Ikuenobe holds the rank of Professor in the Department of Philosophy. He obtained a B. A. (Honors), 1981, and an M.A., 1983, both in philosophy from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He obtained his Ph.D. in philosophy, 1993, from Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan. He came to Kent State University in 1997, after teaching four years at Alverno College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In Fall 2012, he was a Visiting Professor to the University of Botswana.

    In 2016, he won Kent State University Outstanding Research and Scholarship award.

    He specializes in Africana Philosophy, Philosophy of Law, Social and Political Philosophy, Moral Philosophy, Philosophy of Race, and Informal Logic and Critical Thinking. He has published extensively in all these areas in philosophy journals. His representative publications include:

    1. Symposia, Readings in Philosophy: Legal Positivism (edited volume, Pearson Publishing, 2001).
    2. Symposia, Readings in Philosophy: Libertarianism (edited volume, Pearson Publishing, 2001).
    3. Philosophical Perspectives on Communalism and Morality in African Traditions (Lexington Books, 2006).
    4. “Rationality, Practical Reasonableness, and the Social and Moral Foundation of a Legal System,” Journal of Social Philosophy, 32:3 (2001), 245–267.
    5. “In Search of Criteria for ‘Fallacies’ and ‘Begging the Question’,” Argumentation, 16:4 (2002), 421–441.
    6. “Optimizing Reasonableness, Critical Thinking, and Cyberspace,” Educational Philosophy and Theory, 35:4 (2003), 407–424.
    7. “Citizenship and Patriotism,” Public Affairs Quarterly, 24:4 (2010), 297–318.

    He teaches courses in Philosophy of Law, Social and Political Philosophy, Philosophy and Justice, Philosophy of Love and Friendship, African and African-American Philosophy, Philosophy and Multiculturalism, Introduction to Philosophy, Principles of Thinking, and Introduction to Ethics.

    Documents

    PDF icon CV-Ikuenobe-web.pdf
    Department of Philosophy

    Street Address

    P.O. Box 5190, Kent State University, Kent OH 44242-0001


    Mailing Address

    800 E. Summit St.
    Kent, OH 44242

    Contact Us

    330-672-2315 philo@kent.edu
    Contact Us
    • 330-672-3000
    • info@kent.edu

    Facebook
    QUICK LINKS
    • Current Students
    • Future Students
    • facebook
    • instagram
    • youtube
    • linkedin
    • TikTok
    • X
    • snapchat
    • ...
    Information
    • Accessibility
    • Annual Security Reports
    • For Our Alumni
    • For the Media
    • Health Services
    • Jobs & Employment
    • Privacy Statement
    • HEERF CARES/CRRSAA/ARP Act Reporting and Disclosure
    • Website Feedback
    Kent State University logo
    © 2025 Kent State University All rights reserved.