Author Q&A: Eric Thomas Weber on 'Uniting Mississippi'

Ole Miss professor and contributing Clarion-Ledger columnist Eric Thomas Weber’s new book will make you think.

Considering the author’s passion for philosophy as a means to tackle some of Mississippi’s most pressing issues, that’s not surprising.

Weber’s “Uniting Mississippi: Democracy and Leadership in the South,” published by The University Press of Mississippi, takes on economics, education, leadership and policy challenges with an eye to wisdom, courage, moderation and justice as the pillars on which unity can be built. The book includes a foreword by former Gov. William F. Winter.

Weber offers a course, of sorts, for thinking Mississippians to begin to consider positive means  to bring the state together — and why that’s a good thing.

An associate professor of Public Policy at the University of Mississippi, Weber is also an affiliated faculty member in the School of Law and in the department of Philosophy. He has also authored “Democracy and Leadership,” among other works.

His education includes a Ph.D. in philosophy from Southern Illinois University; an M.A. in philosophy from Ohio University; and a B.S. in philosophy and communication studies from Vanderbilt University.

Weber serves on the advisory board for the Public Philosophy Network and is executive director and a member of the board of trustees for the Society of Philosophers in America. He has also chaired the Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy’s Committee on Public Philosophy since its inception in 2013.

He and wife, Annie Davis Weber, also a member of the Ole Miss faculty, live in Oxford with their two children.

How did you become interested in the study and concepts of philosophy, and why is it so important to you?

Like so many people, I found it difficult to decide what I wanted to do in life. Folks say they want to be happy, yet so many end up miserable, in mid-life crises. Early on, I wanted to understand happiness, as I’d otherwise be going after it in the dark. When I studied philosophy, I found brilliant insights about happiness that changed my life. In the process, I discovered how much fun philosophy is.

What is your book, “Uniting Mississippi,” about?

In Mississippi, we face an apparent Catch-22. Our economy struggles because we have deep challenges in education, but poverty also frustrates educational progress. We are stuck in a self-fulfilling prophecy. We fail to fund education enough for it to succeed and then say that schools’ challenges are evidence that they are undeserving of support. These problems can be overcome, even if not easily or quickly, with good democratic leadership, which I call judicious yet courageous guidance.

That is my summary of the cardinal virtues of leadership: wisdom, courage, moderation and justice. All are important, but philosopher Plato argued that the greatest good for a society is unity, and the greatest evil is what tears it apart. He thought that moderation is the crucial virtue for unity. Immoderation pulls people apart, black and white, rich and poor, state versus federal supporters, and more. I argue that unity is the aim Mississippi most needs to pursue, moderating our differences.

The book begins with a chapter on economics and one on education. I next explain my theory of leadership briefly, before focusing a chapter on what each virtue means for Mississippi. I conclude with a chapter of general policy recommendations.

In your opinion, what exactly would a united Mississippi look like? 

You can see unity already at times. After the incident (of a racial protest) on election night of 2012, the University of Mississippi community came together for a “We are one Mississippi” candlelight walk, featured in a photograph on the cover of the book. Given a number of efforts to achieve unity, furthermore, many great football players have believed that the University of Mississippi is not stuck in 1962 and have come here. We saw at the Sugar Bowl what that can look like.

Looking forward, in the short term the state could give more scholarship support for young people who commit a certain number of years of service to the poorest regions of Mississippi. In the longer term, Mississippi’s progress could look like the kind of economic success we have long seen in Atlanta and that we are starting to see in Birmingham, Alabama.

Who should read this book?

Anyone who genuinely wants progress for Mississippi and the South, and is wary of both extremism and cynicism.

For many readers, the impression they have when they hear the words “philosophy” or “philosophical” is that it seems rather grandiose. How would you defend that challenge?    

Good leadership is about putting wisdom into practice. I answer with an example: Philosophy means the love of wisdom. When it comes to sex education, there is an enormous amount of data about what works best and conclusive survey results about what Mississippians want. Our sex-ed policy reflects neither of these wisely. There are simple ways to change the law to realign with what we know. Scholarship matters profoundly for life. Teenage pregnancies, public health and our economy are on the line.

Who have you worked with, or would like to work with, to bring your ideas for unity to life?   

I have worked with the Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation and the Mississippi Humanities Council, and have written for The Clarion-Ledger. I’ve met with professional organizations, school groups, leadership institutes and chambers of commerce from around the state to talk about leadership and progress for Mississippi. I would love to do more of that. I could see working with groups like Mississippi First, the Center for Mississippi Health Policy, and the many faith leaders and community groups who are presently calling for unity in our state symbols. I have been in touch with a number of political leaders, too, and would love the chance to work with them.

What can the “average citizen” in Mississippi do to help bring about unity?

Mississippi is a big small town, as they say. The average person can make a difference by first wanting the right things, like unity and all that it means. Next, the single most important thing is to communicate. Never has that been easier than now with social media and a cellphone. People can talk about their experiences and challenges, and call leaders to #UniteMS. They can also act locally to unite their towns and counties.

The debate over Mississippi’s state flag is an excellent topical example of a current division in this state. What is your take on the flag dilemma and the importance of symbols in our society?

In the most Christian state in America, we could see tremendous unity in shared beliefs and love. Instead, many worship a flag that symbolizes secession and segregation, two words for disunity. Our leaders could act, as we voted them into office to lead, but they are being cowardly, calling for another vote. That’s falsely judicious and decidedly cowardly guidance. It’s also one of the reasons why Mississippi continues to struggle.

What are some other works you have in progress now?

I’m finishing a project about the crucial role of culture for justice. It’s called “A Culture of Justice.” I’m also thinking about stepping back and looking at the U.S. and our challenges for unity. You would think that it’s much harder to achieve unity at the larger level. At the same time, unity is in the very name of our country, the United States of America. So, I’ve started thinking through a project called “Uniting the States.”