Eric Gander

Assc Professor

Weissman School of Arts and Sciences

Areas of expertise: Public Argument and Debate

Email Address: eric.gander@baruch.cuny.edu

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Biography
Teaching
Research and Creative Activity
Grants
Honors and Awards
Service

Eric M. Gander is Associate Professor of Public Argument in the Department of Communication Studies at Baruch College, CUNY. He earned a B.A. in Economics and an M.A. in Rhetoric and Communication Studies from the University of Virginia, and a PhD in Communication Studies from Northwestern University. His research critiques public argument and debate about politics, law, science, and ethics, in an attempt to clarify the way these vital issues are discussed in the public realm, with the ultimate goal of sharpening the workings of the American Public Mind. Professor Gander is the author of On Our Minds: How Evolutionary Psychology is Reshaping the Nature versus Nurture Debate, published in 2003 by Johns Hopkins University Press—a book which the Harvard evolutionary psychologist Steven Pinker has described as “lucid and thought-provoking…clear and lively enough to interest a general audience, while containing novel analyses that should be considered by the specialists.” Professor Gander is also the author of The Last Conceptual Revolution: A Critique of Richard Rorty’s Political Philosophy, published in 1999 by SUNY Press, as well as numerous articles, book reviews, and convention papers. His work has appeared in both the academic and popular press, including The Journal of Communication Studies, The University of Illinois Law Review, and The New York Times. He has also appeared on various television talk shows as an expert commentator on political and social issues. Professor Gander teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in Persuasion, Argumentation and Debate, and Communication Law and Free Speech.

Education

Ph.D., Communication Studies, Northwestern University

M.A., Rhetoric and Communication Studies, The University of Virginia

B.A., Economics, The University of Virginia

Semester	Course Prefix	Course Number	Course Name
Spring 2024	COM	3045	Comm Law & Free Speech
Spring 2024	COM	3045H	Hon: Comm Law & Free Speech
Spring 2024	PHI	3045	Comm Law and Free Speech
Spring 2023	IDC	4001H	Hon Shaping the Future of NYC
Fall 2022	COM	1010H	Honors Speech Communications
Spring 2022	COM	9510	Legal/Ethical Iss in Corp Comm
Fall 2021	COM	1010H	Honors Speech Communications
Spring 2021	COM	3045	Comm Law & Free Spch
Spring 2021	COM	3045	Comm Law & Free Spch
Spring 2021	COM	9510	Legal/Ethical Iss in Corp Comm
Spring 2021	COM	9800	Corp Comm Internship
Spring 2021	PHI	3045	Comm Law and Free Speech
Fall 2020	COM	1010H	Honors Speech Communications
Fall 2020	COM	9661	Selected Topics in Corporate C
Summer 2020	COM	9801	Internship in Corporate Commun
Spring 2020	COM	9991	Masters Thesis In Cc
Spring 2020	PHI	3045	Comm Law and Free Speech
Spring 2020	COM	3045	Comm Law & Free Spch
Spring 2020	COM	9510	Legal/Ethical Iss in Corp Comm
Spring 2019	COM	9510	Legal/Ethical Iss in Corp Comm
Fall 2018	COM	3070	Persuasion
Fall 2018	COM	3045	Comm Law & Free Spch
Spring 2018	COM	3045	Comm Law & Free Spch
Spring 2018	PHI	3045	Comm Law and Free Speech
Spring 2018	COM	9510	Legal/Ethical Iss in Corp Comm
Fall 2017	COM	3070	Persuasion
Fall 2017	COM	9991	Masters Thesis In Cc
Fall 2017	COM	1010	Speech Communication
Spring 2017	PHI	3045	Comm Law and Free Speech
Spring 2017	COM	9900	Independent Study
Spring 2017	COM	9510	Legal/Ethical Iss in Corp Comm
Spring 2017	COM	3070	Persuasion
Spring 2017	COM	3045	Comm Law & Free Spch
Fall 2016	COM	4101	Selected Topics
Fall 2016	COM	1010	Speech Communication
Spring 2016	COM	3045	Comm Law & Free Spch
Spring 2016	COM	9510	Legal/Ethical Iss in Corp Comm
Fall 2015	COM	1010	Speech Communication
Fall 2015	COM	4101	Selected Topics
Spring 2015	COM	3045	Comm Law & Free Spch
Spring 2015	PHI	3045	Comm Law and Free Speech
Spring 2015	COM	9510	Legal/Ethical Iss in Corp Comm
Fall 2014	COM	3070	Persuasion
Fall 2014	COM	1010	Speech Communication
Spring 2014	COM	9510	Legal/Ethical Iss in Corp Comm
Spring 2014	COM	3045	Comm Law & Free Spch
Spring 2014	PHI	3045	Comm Law and Free Speech
Fall 2013	COM	3070	Persuasion
Fall 2013	COM	3070	Persuasion
Fall 2013	COM	1010	Speech Communication
Fall 2013	COM	9991	Masters Thesis In Cc
Spring 2013	COM	9510	Legal/Ethical Iss in Corp Comm
Spring 2013	COM	9510	Legal/Ethical Iss in Corp Comm
Spring 2013	PHI	3045	Comm Law and Free Speech
Spring 2013	COM	3071	Argumentation and Debate
Spring 2013	COM	3045	Comm Law & Free Spch
Fall 2012	COM	3070	Persuasion
Fall 2012	COM	9651	Persuasion and Advocacy
Fall 2012	COM	1010H	Honors Speech Communications
Spring 2012	COM	9991	Masters Thesis In Cc
Spring 2012	COM	3071	Argumentation and Debate
Spring 2012	COM	3061	Speech Composition & Delivery
Spring 2012	COM	3045	Comm Law & Free Spch
Spring 2012	PHI	3045	Comm Law and Free Speech
Spring 2012	COM	9510	Legal/Ethical Iss in Corp Comm
Fall 2011	COM	9651	Persuasion and Advocacy
Fall 2011	COM	3070	Persuasion
Fall 2011	COM	1010H	Honors Speech Communications
Spring 2011	COM	9510	Legal/Ethical Iss in Corp Comm
Spring 2011	COM	3071	Argumentation and Debate
Spring 2011	COM	3071	Argumentation and Debate
Spring 2011	COM	3071	Argumentation and Debate
Fall 2010	COM	9651	Persuasion and Advocacy
Fall 2010	COM	3070	Persuasion
Fall 2010	COM	3070	Persuasion
Fall 2010	COM	1010H	Honors Speech Communications
Spring 2010	PHI	3045	Comm Law and Free Speech
Spring 2010	COM	3045	Comm Law & Free Spch
Spring 2010	COM	9510	Legal/Ethical Iss in Corp Comm
Spring 2010	PHI	1500	Major Issues in Philosophy
Fall 2009	COM	3071	Argumentation and Debate
Fall 2009	COM	3071	Argumentation and Debate
Fall 2009	COM	3071	Argumentation and Debate
Fall 2009	COM	1010H	Honors Speech Communications
Spring 2009	COM	3070	Persuasion
Spring 2009	COM	9510	Legal/Ethical Iss in Corp Comm
Spring 2009	COM	3070	Persuasion
Fall 2008	COM	9651	Persuasion and Advocacy
Fall 2008	COM	1010H	Honors Speech Communications
Fall 2008	COM	1010	Speech Communication
Fall 2007	COM	9510	Legal/Ethical Iss in Corp Comm
Fall 2007	COM	1010H	Honors Speech Communications
Fall 2007	COM	3071	Argumentation and Debate
Spring 2007	COM	3070	Persuasion
Spring 2007	COM	9900	Independent Study
Spring 2007	COM	4101	Selected Topics
Fall 2006	COM	1010H	Honors Speech Communications
Fall 2006	COM	9651	Persuasion and Advocacy
Fall 2006	COM	3071	Argumentation and Debate
Spring 2006	COM	3070	Persuasion
Spring 2006	COM	3070	Persuasion
Spring 2006	COM	3070	Persuasion
Fall 2005	COM	6002	Communication Honors II
Fall 2005	COM	3071	Argumentation and Debate
Fall 2005	COM	3071	Argumentation and Debate
Fall 2005	COM	9510	Legal/Ethical Iss in Corp Comm
Spring 2005	COM	9651	Persuasion and Advocacy
Spring 2005	COM	6001	Honors
Spring 2005	COM	3070	Persuasion
Spring 2005	COM	3070	Persuasion
Spring 2005	COM	3070	Persuasion
Fall 2004	COM	3071	Argumentation and Debate
Fall 2004	COM	3071	Argumentation and Debate
Fall 2004	COM	3071	Argumentation and Debate
Spring 2004	COM	3070	Persuasion
Spring 2004	COM	3070	Persuasion
Spring 2004	COM	9510	Legal/Ethical Iss in Corp Comm
Fall 2003	COM	3071	Argumentation and Debate
Fall 2003	COM	3071	Argumentation and Debate
Fall 2003	COM	3071	Argumentation and Debate
Spring 2003	COM	3070	Persuasion
Spring 2003	COM	9651	Persuasion and Advocacy
Spring 2003	COM	3070	Persuasion
Fall 2002	COM	3071	Argumentation and Debate
Fall 2002	COM	3071	Argumentation and Debate
Fall 2002	COM	9510	Legal/Ethical Iss in Corp Comm
Spring 2002	COM	3070	Persuasion
Spring 2002	COM	3070	Persuasion
Fall 2001	COM	3071	Argumentation and Debate
Fall 2001	COM	9660	Sel Topics/Corp Comm
Fall 2001	COM	9651	Persuasion and Advocacy
Fall 2001	COM	3071	Argumentation and Debate

Books

Gander, E. (2003). On Our Minds: How Evolutionary Psychology is Reshaping the Nature versus Nurture Debate. (p. 293, 120,000 words). Baltimore, MD, United States, John Hopkins University Press.

Gander, E. (1999). The Last Conceptual Revolution: A Critique of Richard Rorty's Political Philosophy . (p. 235, 80,000 words). Albany, NY, United States, State University of New York Press.

Journal Articles

(1993). Bill Clinton and the "R" Words: The Presidential Nominee's Acceptance Address. Journal of Communication Studies, Arkansas State Communication Association , 1-10.

(1991). Torturers and Aesthetes: On Richard Rorty's Concept of the Self. ellipsis: a journal of postmodern studies, Editorial Collective of SUNY at Binghamton., 167-191.

Book Chapters

Waisanen, D., Hahn, A., & Gander, E. (2017). Text, Talk, Argue: How to Improve Text-Driven Political Conversations. In Winkler, C. (Ed.), Networking Argument New York, NY,United States. Routledge.

(2017). Text, Talk, Argue: How to Improve Text-Driven Political Conversations from an Argumentation Perspective. Networking Argument (p. 12). New York City, NY,USA. Routledge.

(2008). Justice Scalia and the R.A.V. Mystery: A Discussion of Hate Speech, Critical Race Theory, and the First Amendment. Freedom of Expression Yearbook (pp. 134-153, 10,500 words). Annandale, VA. The National Communication Association.

Gander, E. (1987). United States' Policies and Latin American Political Stability: An Overview of the 1987-88 National High School Debate Resolution. In Goodnight, L., Gander, E., & Deatherage, S. (Eds.), The complete resource handbook of issues on establishing a U.S. foreign policy toward Latin America: "What changes are needed in United States foreign policy toward Latin America?" (pp. 1-20). Lincolnwood, Ill.,USA. National Textbook Company.

Conference Proceedings

Gander, E. (2011). Our Greatest Confusion: Evolution, Cooperation, and 'Survival of the Fittest'. The Functions of Argument and Social Context: Selected Papers from the Sixteenth NCA/AFA Conference on Argumentation, August, 2009.

Gander, E. (2009). A Future for Citizenship. Concerning Argument: Selected Papers from the Fifteenth NCA/AFA Conference on Argumentation, August, 2007.

Gander, E. (2007). The Legal Theory of Incitement: A Brief History. Enhancing Argument in Society: Selected Paper from the Fourteenth NCA/AFA Conference on Argumentation, August, 2005.

Gander, E. (2005). Writing on The Blank Slate: Steven Pinker and the Rhetoric and Politics of Human Nature. Critical Problems in Argumentation: Selected Paper from the Thirteenth NCA/AFA Conference on Argumentation, August, 2003.

Gander, E. (2003). Adapted Arguments: Logic and Rhetoric in the Age of Genes and Hardwired Brains. Proceedings of the Fifth Conference of the International Society for the Study of Argumentation, June, 2002.

Gander, E. (2001). Prophecy as Argument: A Haunting Vision of America's Future. Argument at Century's End, Reflecting on the Past and Envisioning the Future: Selected Papers from the Eleventh SCA/AFA Conference on Argumentation, August, 1999.

Gander, E. (1997). Answering Hitler: A Discussion of What Liberals Must Believe About Persuasion. Argumentation and Values: Selected Papers from the Ninth SCA/AFA Argumentation, August, 1995.

Gander, E. (1995). Rendezvous at the End of History: Francis Fukuyama and Richard Rorty on Liberal-Democratic Politics. Argument and the Postmodern Challenge: Selected Papers from the Eighth SCA/AFA Conference on Argumentation, August, 1993.

Gander, E. (1991). Perry Mason, Esquire and Postmodern: The Case of Critical Legal Theory and Arguments Against Argument. Proceedings of the Second Conference of the International Society for the Study of Argumentation, June, 1990.

Law Reviews

Gander, E. (2002). "Civil liberty versus civil liability: Robert O'Neil defends the First Amendment" (No.5). University of Illinois School of Law.

Presentations

Waisanen, D., Hahn, A., & Gander, E. (2017, July 21). Text, Talk, Argue: How to Improve Political Conversations from an Argumentation Perspective. Alta Conference on Argumentation. Alta, UT: National Communication Association.

Gander, E. (2012, May 31). Affirmative Action, Then and Now: A Legal History. Rhetoric Society of America. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Rhetoric Society of America.

Gander, E. (2011, August 31). The Joy of Textualism: Antonin Scalia on Constitutional Interpretation. Alta Conference on Argumentation. Alta, Utah: Seventeenth NCA/AFA Conference on Argumentation.

Gander, E. (2010, March 31). The Olive-Pitter and the Mind: What Sherlock Holmes, Charles Darwin and C.S. Peirce Can Tell Us About How We Should Understand Human Nature. Brown Bag Colloquium. : Baruch College, Department of Communication Studies.

Gander, E. (2009, August 31). "Our Greatest Confusion: Evolution, Cooperation, and 'Survival of the Fittest'”. Alta Conference on Argumentation. Alta, Utah: Sixteenth NCA/AFA Conference on Argumentation.

Gander, E. (2008, May 31). The Language of Intimacy: Steven Pinker on Sex, Verbs, and Human Nature. Rhetoric Society of America. Seattle, Washington: Rhetoric Society of America.

Gander, E. (2007, August 31). A Future for Citizenship. Alta Conference on Argumentation. Alta, Utah: Fifthteenth NCA/AFA Conference on Argumentation.

Gander, E. (2005, August 31). The Legal Theory of Incitement: A Brief History. Alta Conference on Argumentation. Alta, Utah: Fourteenth NCA/AFA Conference on Argumentation.

Gander, E. (2003, August 31). Writing on The Blank Slate: Steven Pinker and the Rhetoric and Politics of Human Nature. Alta Conference on Argumentation. Alta, Utah: Thirteenth NCA/AFA Conference on Argumentation.

Gander, E. (2000, October 19). Speaking the Public Mind: Re-examining the Connection Between Political Rhetoric and Political Philosophy. Interdisciplinary forum on contemporary politics. : Political Science department, Baruch College.

Gander, E. (1999, August 31). Prophecy as Argument: A Haunting Vision of America's Future. Alta Conference on Argumentation. Alta, Utah

Gander, E. (1995, October 28). The Sounds of Violence: Media Ethics in An Electronic Age. Forum on Violence and the Media. Fairleigh Dickinson University: University Core Curriculum and the Office of Multi-cultural Affairs.

Gander, E. (1995, August 31). Answering Hitler: A Discussion of What Liberals Must Believe About Persuasion. Alta Conference on Argumentation. Alta, Utah

Gander, E. (1993, August 31). Rendezvous at the End of History: Francis Fukuyama and Richard Rorty on Liberal-Democratic Politics. Alta Conference on Argumentation. Alta, Utah

Gander, E. (1993, April 30). Exploring the Beauty Myth Myth. Popular Culture Association Convention.

Gander, E. (1992, March 31). The Naked Power Organ, or The Case of 'Original Understanding' vs. 'Doing What's Best for the Republic. Popular Culture Association Convention.

Gander, E. (1991, March 31). From Mean Streets to Main Street: Surreal Seediness Invades the Small Town of 'Twin Peaks'. Popular Culture Association Convention.

Gander, E. (1990, June 30). Another Round in the Cultural Literacy Debate: What Every American Needs to Know About What Every American Needs to Know. International Communication Association Convention.

Gander, E. (1990, June 30). Perry Mason, Esquire and Postmodern: The Case of Critical Legal Theory and Arguments Against Argument. Second International Conference on Argumentation. Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Gander, E. (1990, March 31). Guerrilla Filmmaking: Spike Lee's Hollywood Insurgency. Popular Culture Association Convention.

Gander, E. (1988, November 30). Pedagogy in the Postmodern Age. Speech Communication Association Convention.

Gander, E. (1988, November 30). Sophisticated Innocence: An Approach to Criticism in the Postmodern Age. Speech Communication Association Convention.

Gander, E. (1988, June 30). Postmodernity and the Fate of Rhetoric. International Communication Association Convention, Philosophy of Communication Division.

Gander, E., & Aune, J. (1984, April 30). Rhetoric and Ideology in Political Theory: A Burkeian Reading of Marx and Rawls. Burke Conference. Temple University

Other Scholarly Works

Gander, E. (1994). "Time to Vote, But Not With a Fist". New York Times. C17.

Gander, E. (1989). "Habermas on Habermas: The Perils of Communicative Action in Our Postmodern Age".

Research Currently in Progess

Gander, E.(n.d.). The Olive-Pitter and the Mind: Sherlock Holmes, Charles Darwin and C.S. Peirce Team Up to Investigate Human Nature. In Progress.

This is a sequel, of sorts, to my second book “On Our Minds: How Evolutionary Psychology is Reshaping the Nature-versus-Nurture Debate.” This new book examines the method of “reverse engineering” that evolutionary psychologists and others claim they use in investigating the workings of the human mind. Reverse engineering has come under fire from critics of evolutionary psychology as being impossibly circular. The criticism is simply this: the mind is said to be adapted to the environment of our hunter-gatherer ancestors, but that environment is largely inferred from the adaptations our minds possess today. Hence, the circularity. This is the most powerful criticism of evolutionary psychology advanced today, and it needs to be answered. I do so by embracing the criticism and then arguing that what evolutionary psychologists call reverse engineering is best understood as what Charles Sanders Peirce described as the process of “abduction”—the same process used by the most famous fictional detective ever created. By explaining the connection between reverse engineering and abduction I hope to advance—at a philosophical, or meta-scientific, level—our understanding of evolutionary psychology and of the workings of the natural sciences in general. I am currently editing for publication the approximately 350 page manuscript I have written.

Title	Funding Agency Sponsor	Start Date	End Date	Awarded Date	Total Funding	Status
Department Chair Research Account Year 2 - Eric Gander	PSC CUNY	09/01/2021	08/31/2023	09/01/2021	3000	Completed
Department Chair Research Account Year 4 Eric Gander	PSC CUNY	09/01/2023	08/31/2025	08/31/2023	3000	Funded - In Progress
Department Chair Research Account Year 3 - Eric Gander	PSC CUNY	09/01/2022	08/31/2024	09/01/2022	3000	Funded - In Progress

Honor / Award	Organization Sponsor	Date Received
Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship	Northwestern University School of Speech	1987
Graduate Assistantship	Northwestern University School of Speech	1986
Graduate Assistantship	Northwestern University School of Speech	1985
Teaching Assistantship	University of Virginia College of Arts and Sciences	1983

College

Committee Name	Position Role	End Date
Communication Studies Representative to the Weissman Undergraduate Curriculum Committee		Present
	Lead Author, Departmental Self-Study Report, 2006-2011	Present
Teaching Observation Committee		Present
Business Communication (B.A.) Program Committee		Present
Department "Review" Committee		Present
Curriculum Committee		Present
Advisement of Departmental Majors		Present
Executive Committee		Present
Masters in Corporate Communication Planning Group		Present
WSAS representative to the School of Public Affairs		12/31/2004
Commencement Marshal		6/30/2003
Commencement Marshal		6/30/2002
Commencement Marshal		6/30/2001
Search committee to direct the basic course		12/31/2000
Commencement Marshal		6/30/2000
Search committee organizational communication		12/31/1999
Mentored three faculty members		12/31/1998

Professional

Organization	Position Role	Organization State	Organization Country	Start Date	End Date	Audience
National Communication Association	Member			1/1/1996	Present

Public

Organization	Position Role	Start Date	End Date
New York 1	Frequent Commentator on Political Affairs		Present
Volume.com, a new internet site developed by HBO/Time Warner	Commentator on the presidential election of 2000		Present
Chase Lincoln-Douglas Debate Competition, sponsored by Chase Bank and the Board of Education of the City of New York	Guest Judge	1/1/1994	Present
Brooklyn Public Library's "Internet for Families" Public Internet Education Program. Funded by the Library Services and Technology Administration and the New York State Library	Facilitator	1/1/1999	5/31/1999