To Whom It May Concern:

This morning I visited Dr. Jordan Kokot’s Introduction to Ethics class in CAS 203. The class started right on time at 10:10 as a few stragglers made their way into a full classroom with few empty desks. Dr. Kokot began the class by announcing a reflection exercise that would be due on Friday, February 24. He also briefly noted that the exercise should begin with a central claim followed by an argument. He then pivoted to a combination of lecture and discussion, aided by slides projected on a screen at the front of the classroom.

The lecture began with review of Nietzsche’s plea for approaching life aesthetically, giving style to one’s life as a response to suffering (and to Schopenhauer’s own view of suffering). Dr. Kokot stressed that Nietzsche’s plea, while concerned with appearances, was not a form of escapism but a way of living through suffering. After noting the importance of the themes of meaning, health, and the death of god for this process, Dr. Kokot added that the aesthetic approach was intended as a response to the death of god and the loss of meaning previously accorded to god. In the wake of the death of god, Dr. Kokot pointed out, the meaning of suffering becomes an opportunity for greater growth and overcoming. Here and throughout the lecture, Dr. Kokot made good use of slides with passages that aptly fit the themes and discussion of them. He also effectively elicited questions and comments from the class. Some of the comments were quite excellent, revealing a thoughtfulness about the material.

This rich engagement was even more on display as Dr. Kokot pivoted to the matter of existential choice and what Ruth Chang deems “hard choices.” Utilizing a Blackboard reading check in, Dr. Kokot prefaced discussion of these themes with précis of de Beauvoir, Chang, and the meaning of ‘existentialism.’ Certain pedestrian but telling instances of hard choices (what to have for breakfast) were discussed before a lengthier passage from Sartre, exhibiting a more dire instance, was posted on the screen. As a means of working through the meaning of ‘hard choices,’ Dr. Kokot then had the students break up into smaller groups to discuss its meaning in light not only of the hard choice presented by the passage from Sartre but also of the hardest choices that the students themselves have recently had to make. This exercise was clearly effective and, perhaps for that reason, it would have been useful to mine it a bit longer, making it possible for more students to respond.

This class was superb. The lecture was well organized, outlining the central points and considerations behind them. Dr. Kokot’s delivery was clear and engaging, as he spoke freely without notes but with a sure connection to the readings and passages from them projected onto the screen. He has excellent command of the material and an inviting ease at elaborating it. Students responded in kind and with enthusiasm. If I have any criticism (and it is minor), I would like to have seen Dr. Kokot allow for a bit more input from students, following their discussion. This suggestion is fraught, to be sure, with the demands of covering material and the limited time of the class meeting. But allowing a few more for students to register their reactions would increase their stake in thinking through the material. One other suggestion: invite criticism of the topics and, if it is not forthcoming from the students, offer it as part of the lecture. But these are merely suggestions. Dr. Kokot’s performance demonstrated that he is already an accomplished lecturer and teacher. We are lucky to have his services.

Sincerely,

Daniel O. Dahlstrom

The John R. Silber Professor of Philosophy

Boston University

To Whom It May Concern:

It is my intention to convey in this letter the generosity and kindness that Professor Jordan Kokot has shown students at Brandeis University in the past year as Visiting Assistant Professor. I encourage the reader to recognize Professor Jordan Kokot as an incredibly valuable asset to a university philosophy department.

As a current senior at Brandeis, I have had the time to become integrated into the philosophy department. In my junior year I acted as an “Undergraduate Department Representative” (UDR) during my fall semester before studying abroad at the University of Amsterdam where I studied feminist philosophy. This year, I am again serving as a UDR. I facilitate the philosophy department’s Socrates Cafe events, as well as Senior Thesis Writing Cohort and Hegel’s Reading and Understanding Sessions as extracurriculars within the department. In addition to this, I have begun a senior thesis track under the advisorship of Eugene Sheppard where Marion Smiley is my second reader and Professor Jordan Kokot, the subject of this letter, is my third, official reader.*

The past couple months, I’ve been auditing Professor Kokot’s Topics in Ethical Theory: Money, Markets and Morals class. In this course, Professor Kokot consistently demonstrates an acute ability to listen. With the course’s basis in oral communication, Professor Kokot summarizes and reformulates each student’s argument succinctly and asks brief follow-up questions to get clear on the student’s position. This ritual allows me an opportunity to reflect back upon my contribution and my argument. When I am off-topic and my argument does not hold this practice is equally if not more important for my argument reformulation. Professor Kokot’s practice of listening and responding is one he never deters from, and makes me, as well as my peers feel grounded and heard in our arguments.

Professor Kokot has a very unique ability to suspend judgment when students contribute and interpret course material. This creates a space where students feel empowered to contribute. Professor Kokot facilitates a space for debate where students feel comfortable contributing. His classroom is one that asks students to critically engage with the course material and one another. His classroom is a space where students can come to disagree, to confront one another intellectually, and do so while maintaining respect for one another. It is not often in the philosophy department that students are given the opportunity to enter passionate dialogue with one another on the topic of ethics, politics, and culture. His classroom has become a very unique and valuable space for students to reflect their philosophical arguments onto the world outside the institution.

Professor Kokot is incredibly generous with students, especially those who are writing senior theses this year. Many of the students in the Senior Thesis Writing cohort that I organize report meeting with Professor Kokot and share that his engagement with them helped to provide them concrete actions which assisted them in meeting their goals. If he’s not a first or second reader for students then he is a third reader, who has done the kindness of offering his time and his genuine engagement without the credit that first and second readers receive having their name attached to the thesis. I myself have experienced his kindness firsthand with respect to my project. After talking about my ideas, Professor Kokot volunteered his time to be a reader for my thesis project. He is now an official third reader on my project and continuously offers the space for me to speak about the content of my thesis and my future professional and academic plans following graduation.

Professor Kokot introduced me to Rebeccah Leiby of Elon University who provides me the space to talk about feminist and continental philosophy. Professor Leiby is a fantastic resource for me to flesh out ideas about feminist philosophy. This space would not have been possible without Professor Kokot’s network, sincere generosity and genuine interest in preparing students for academic success.

Professor Kokot’s creation of meaningful spaces are credited to his personality and his framing of content. Professor Kokot’s course material is contemporary and forces students to reckon with the compatibility of philosophy and the practical world. Oftentimes in philosophy classes, the material can feel antiquated and dated. Professor Kokot positions Kant’s formula for humanity with the case of Walmart profiting from the life insurance policies it takes out on their laborers. This way of framing gives students a reason to connect with Kant critically and meaningfully. Professor Kokot proves the relevance of philosophy through different social and cultural contexts. It is clear to me that the reason he teaches Biomedical Ethics, Technology Ethics, and Money, Markets and Morals is because of his unique teaching style of positioning the theory with the contemporary moment. I am always eager to learn from his courses because of the double meaning I will walk away with. I know that in his class I will learn about Kant’s unique cultural and political context at the time of his writing as well as that of my own at the time of my interpreting.

Professor Kokot exudes a passion for philosophy and an empathy for students in every space that he walks into. I can confidently say that he is a remarkable candidate for a tenured professorial position. Philosophy departments would only benefit from the expertise, passion and intellectual rigor that he brings to academic and professional spaces. He is always willing to give and lend his generosity without the promise of a return. He is a candidate that deserves the stability and security that a professorship on the tenure track grants. It is without any reservation that I strongly recommend his application.

I find myself incredibly privileged to learn from Professor Kokot in class and during office hours. I trust that the generosity and kindness he has shown students and faculty in the past year of his visiting professorship at Brandeis will only continue.

Sincerely,

XXXXX

B.A Candidate for the Brandeis Philosophy Department, Senior Brandeis Philosophy Department Undergraduate Department Representative (UDR)

To Whom It May Concern:

Professor Jordan Kokot is and will always be the most remarkable pedagogue I have ever had the pleasure of learning under. Professor Kokot is a kindhearted educator. In the Fall of 2023, within three weeks, my dear friend was murdered at the Nova Music Festival in Israel, and my grandfather died of a heart attack. Professor Kokot sent condolences, met with me during and after regular office hours, and reached out via email to ensure I knew he sympathized with my grieving. Professor Kokot would consistently skip his lunch breaks to discuss philosophy with me because he knew I could use the distraction (and he enjoyed doing so!). Professor Kokot’s response to my tragic semester was life-changing and an exemplary action I will never forget. It should serve as a guideline for other educators and advisors.

In that Fall of 2023, during a meeting with Professor Kokot, I voiced an interest in researching Thomas Aquinas’ view on the rampant advertising that the West (through Capitalism) has endorsed. Instead of discouraging me in my interest due to its fringe and strange nature, he supported and advised my research, read Aquinas and secondary sources, listened to my weekly orations about Medieval philosophy, and – I believe – genuinely took great pleasure in seeing one of his students so passionate. At every step in the research process, Professor Kokot provided valuable feedback, encouragement, and insight.

Fast-forward to the present day, April 2024. Professor Kokot and I have been collaborating again on a fringe research topic that has become my senior thesis. With his guidance, I have written on Arthur Schopenhauer’s principle of individuation and whether there could be differentiation in the noumenal realm. Most philosophy departments around the country would have scoffed at the idea that a student would write about a continental philosopher solely to better understand the value of a historical argument. At Brandeis University, two Professors supported my endeavor, one of whom was Professor Kokot. He did not fight the topic or try to lead me away from where I felt called. He upheld the pedagogue’s promise of supporting, encouraging, and advising his students wherever their mental labors brought them. That thirst for knowledge, that chase for wisdom, is rarely (if ever) seen in educators and advisors of the day.

After having the opportunity to learn under Professor Kokot, I have begun to see what Plato would have seen in Socrates or what Lucilius would have seen in Seneca. It is unfathomably rare to have an educator, mentor, and advisor who thirsts for knowledge as much as the student. I am lucky to have had that opportunity, and I wholeheartedly and unconditionally recommend Professor Jordan Kokot.

Sincerely,

XXXXX

Student of Philosophy

To Whom It May Concern:

In the time that I have known him, Professor Jordan Kokot has repeatedly shown himself to be an exceptionally skillful, kind, and wise individual.

In the Fall of 2023, several Brandeis philosophy students and I endeavored to start an undergraduate journal of philosophy. In our first meeting with the department, we asked, with a degree of trepidation, if any faculty member would be willing to become an advisor to the journal. Professor Jordan Kokot immediately volunteered, and we soon began meeting with him regularly. As an advisor, Professor Kokot was extremely helpful: he provided us with crucial insight on everything we did, from copy-editing to creating a community among the journal's undergraduate editors. Beyond his valuable advice, Professor Kokot was an important source of moral support. He celebrated our accomplishments alongside us and remained optimistic and encouraging when we faced challenges. He was not at all officious in his role; in fact, Professor Kokot was notably careful to never overstep, ensuring that the undergraduates were always taking the lead. It would not surprise anyone who knows him to hear that throughout his time as our faculty advisor, Professor Kokot constantly exhibited his infectiously excited and engaged disposition.

In that same semester, I began independently working on a philosophy paper which I hoped to submit to either an undergraduate or professional journal, but I knew that professional publication would be difficult and I was naturally apprehensive. I mentioned this to Professor Kokot, and asked him if he would be willing to read over a draft of my paper. He immediately agreed, and we later met for over an hour to discuss it. Professor Kokot offered extremely helpful feedback, and also generally encouraged me to continue working on the paper, recommending that I submit to a conference. He helped me pull together an abstract which I submitted, and I soon learned that it had been accepted. When he heard about my acceptance, Professor Kokot was characteristically excited and supportive. He is now helping me continue to improve my paper and prepare for the conference.

In my (admittedly brief) experience, it is rare to come across someone so passionate, capable, and decent as Professor Jordan Kokot. He has a unique ability to connect with students and possesses a set of general skills which would seem to enable him to succeed in any realm. I would strongly recommend him for virtually any role.

Sincerely,

XXXXX

To Whom It May Concern:

It is my pleasure to write this letter in support of Professor Jordan Kokot. My connection with Professor Kokot is as his student in his course “The Ethics of Technology”, as a general interlocutor of philosophical content, and as his honors student in my undergraduate philosophy thesis work. Professor Kokot is a shining example of a professor and mentor who rigorously and enthusiastically engages his students.

*Professor Kokot is an exceptional educator and I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to learn under his guidance. His unique ability to cultivate a dynamic and intellectually stimulating learning environment sets him apart from any other professor I have had the privilege of learning from. Professor Kokot's kind demeanor and his commanding presence in the classroom instantly earn him respect while also solidifying his reputation as an educator who genuinely prioritizes the growth and success of his students.

One of the remarkable qualities that sets Professor Kokot apart is his keen ability to understand his students' perspectives and connect with his students. He possesses a talent for recognizing the thoughts and ideas brewing within each student's mind and for creating the opportunity for his students to articulate their ideas. This deep insight into his students' thinking allows him to create a classroom atmosphere that encourages open dialogue and critical thinking.

In my class with Professor Kokot called “The Ethics of Technology'', I was enthralled by the manner in which he was able to guide a philosophical discussion. During the course, Professor Kokot would often present some terminology and background before posting a specific question related to the reading. One of the most captivating aspects of Professor Kokot's teaching style was his adept use of these thought-provoking questions. Following his insightful introductions, he would pose specific questions related to the readings of the class and the introductory material which were designed to elicit our intuitions and spark discussions. These questions skillfully elicited a wide array of perspectives and viewpoints from the students, resulting in lively, respectful, and at times heated debates. He excels at clarifying students' perspectives without imposing answers, nurturing an atmosphere where meaningful discussions flourish. He would generously connect the various philosophical viewpoints offered by students in a way that made them more accessible and comprehensible. His thoughtful preparation, insightful questions, and ability to bridge philosophical viewpoints created an intellectually stimulating learning environment. I found his teaching approach not only extremely engaging but also profoundly enlightening, as it enabled me to explore and appreciate the intricate ethical considerations surrounding technology in a more profound way.

Moreover, Professor Kokot stands out as one of the most generous and approachable educators I have encountered. His willingness to invest time and effort in his students is exemplary. I regularly attended his office hours when in his course and have continued to meet with him after “Ethics of Technology” ended to discuss personal projects, papers, and my undergraduate thesis. Whether during office hours or after class, he consistently makes himself available for discussions and support. We have discussed a wide range of my personal projects, including my paper exploring the ethical and legal aspects of genetic modification, my research on global governance in the context of artificial intelligence, my overarching interest in intellectual property law and the concept of ownership, as well as my undergraduate thesis on the subject of disagreement, among various other topics. In our discussions, Professor Kokot's passion for philosophical inquiry is infectious and constantly stimulates my intellectual curiosity and propels me towards deeper understanding.. His unwavering support fosters a collaborative learning environment where we work in tandem, not adversaries, in our shared pursuit of philosophical enlightenment.

I am happy to recommend Professor Kokot to your department without reservation. He is an exceptional educator who inspires and engages his students with his passion for philosophy, his ability to foster stimulating discussions, and his unwavering support for their academic growth. He is a true mentor who goes above and beyond to guide his students towards deeper understanding and intellectual exploration. His dedication to his students and his commitment to creating a collaborative learning environment make him an invaluable asset to any academic institution.

Sincerely,

XXXXX

4th Year Brandeis University Undergraduate

Neuroscience and Philosophy Double Major

Philosophy Honors Student

Legal Studies Minor