Rocco Astore

Adjunct Lecturer
Social Sciences, Human Services and Criminal Justice

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Prof. Rocco A. Astore is currently an Adjunct Lecturer of Philosophy at CUNY: Borough of Manhattan Community College, where he has taught since 2018. Since his first philosophy class at CUNY: Hunter College, in New York City, New York, USA, Prof. Astore knew that he wanted to pursue philosophy as a career. After obtaining his BA in Philosophy from CUNY: Hunter College, Prof. Astore continued his education at CUNY: College of Staten Island, where he received his MA in Liberal Studies at the top of his class. After his time at CUNY: College of Staten Island, Prof. Astore then moved onto the New School for Social Research, where he completed an MA in Philosophy.

Prof. Astore’s research is invested heavily in Philosophy’s Ancient and Early-Modern Periods. Insofar as the Ancient Period of Philosophy’s History is concerned, Prof. Astore finds the works of Eastern Philosophy in the form of the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Dhammapada to be highly comparable to the works of Plato, Aristotle, and Plotinus in the West. Finally, the Hellenic Philosophy of Stoicism particularly the Late-Roman philosophies of Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius are of great research worth to Prof. Astore as well.

Also, Prof. Astore finds problems concerning right, power, free-will, eternity, infinity, and the social and political dimensions of the Early-Modern Period to be fascinating beyond the pale. Moreover, Prof. Astore’s research focuses mainly on the philosophy of Spinoza, who is his favorite philosopher. At the same time, Prof. Astore is also intrigued by the British Empiricist Movement of the Early-Modern Period, specifically the works of Berkeley and Hume. Finally, Prof. Astore incorporates these topics into his teaching at CUNY: Borough of Manhattan Community College where he has taught sections of Introduction to Philosophy, Ethics, and Logic.

Expertise

Degrees

MA; Philosophy, New School for Social Research, New York City, New York

MA; Liberal Studies, CUNY: College of Staten Island, New York City, New York

BA; Philosophy, CUNY: Hunter College, New York City, New York

Courses Taught

3 CRS.3 HRS.NULL LAB HRS. PHI 100 PHI 100 (Philosophy): The study of philosophy helps students develop analytic skills and gain an appreciation of the general philosophical problems with which human beings have grappled throughout Western civilization. Basic philosophic problems such as free will and determinism, the criteria which justify ethical evaluations, the philosophical considerations which are relevant to belief or disbelief in God, and knowledge and illusion are examined during this course.
3 CRS.3 HRS.NULL LAB HRS. PHI 110 PHI 110 (Logic): The course focuses on principles of sound thinking and valid argument in order to develop skills in analysis and evaluation of inductive and deductive reasoning. Students learn to discriminate between valid and invalid argument, using as tools the techniques of formal and symbolic logic.
3 CRS.2 HRS.NULL LAB HRS. PHI 120 PHI 120 (Ethics): This course will examine major historical and contemporary perspectives in moral philosophy. We will consider questions such as, 'Are there universal moral values??, Are ethical conduct and self-interest compatible?', 'What is the source of our ethical obligations (God? Society? Or Reason?) and how can we justify them?', and 'How does globalization impact ethical theory?' The course will look at what attributes and qualities make up a successful ethical theory and will compare competing approaches to ethical decision-making. Throughout the course, the emphasis will be on real-world ethical issues that arise in contemporary life and society.

Research and Projects

Publications

Astore, Rocco A. “A Short Rejection of the Innate Ideas of Descartes through the Epistemological Scope of Hume”

Icon of Faith Journal, Romania

http://revistaicoanacredintei.com/en/NO-12-YEAR-VI-JUNE-2020/

http://revistaicoanacredintei.com/gallery/no.12-6-4-2020-icon-faith-astore.pdf

Astore, Rocco A. “The Philosopher-King and the Great Sage: A Comparison Between Marcus Aurelius’ Stoicism and Confucius’ Ethical Theory”

Icon of Faith Journal, Romania

http://revistaicoanacredintei.com/en/NO-11-YEAR-VI-JANUARY-2020/

http://revistaicoanacredintei.com/gallery/no.11-6-2020-icon-faith-astore.pdf

Astore, Rocco A. “Unveiling Ultimate Reality in Plato’s ‘Allegory of the Cave’ and the Bhagavad Gita”

http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1764/unveiling-ultimate-reality-in-platos-allegory-of-the-cave-and-the-bhagavad-gita

Astore, Rocco A. “Challenges to Augustinian and Marxist Views of Time and History”

Vorágine Journal

https://www.revistavoragine.com/challenges-to-augustinian-and-marxist-views-of-time-and-history

Astore, Rocco A. “Machiavelli, the Immoralist? Think Again!”

Brolly: Journal of Social Sciences, UK

https://www.journals.lapub.co.uk/index.php/Brolly/issue/view/24

https://www.journals.lapub.co.uk/index.php/Brolly/article/view/288/260

Astore, Rocco A. “Understanding Leibniz: In Favor of Jaspers’ Interpretation of Leibnizian Metaphysics Over Russell’s Appraisal”

Erothanatos Journal

https://www.erothanatos.com/v3i1n5

https://www.erothanatos.com/vol3issue1

Astore, Rocco A. “A Brief Commentary on the Problem of Theodicy in Hegel’s Introduction to the Philosophy of History”

International Journal of Multidisciplinary Innovative Research

Maharashtra, India

http://www.ijmir.com/vlm1-issue2.html

http://www.ijmir.com/assets/forms/vlm1-issue2/IJMIR2018010201.pdf

Astore, Rocco A. “Kant on Rights, State Authority, and the Fallaciousness of Revolution”

International Journal of Legal Development and Allied Issues

Ahmedabad, India

http://ijldai.thelawbrigade.com/index.php/2018/07/15/vol-4-issue-4-july-2018/

http://ijldai.thelawbrigade.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Rocco.pdf

Astore, Rocco A. “Humbling the Rational: A Humean Critique of Leibniz’s Principle of Sufficient Reason”

IFIASA Journal, Romania

http://ifiasa.org/MCDSARE-2018/

http://ifiasa.org/gallery/4.%204%20th.%202018mcdsare,%20r.%20astore.pdf

Astore, Rocco A. “Mind Over Matter: Denying Cavendish’s Materialism Through Nagarjuna and Berkeley”

JONER Multidisciplinary Journal of Bodoland University, India

Issue 6, Volume-5 ISSN: 2321-0583

http://bodolanduniversity.ac.in/s24c/news.php?id=353

Astore, Rocco A. “Doubting Descartes: How Berkeley’s Immaterialism Outshines the Cartesian System”

Rupkatha Multidisciplinary Journal

http://rupkatha.com/

http://rupkatha.com/V10/n2/v10n211.pdf

Astore, Rocco A. “Spinoza on God, Affects, and the Nature of Sorrow”

Florida Philosophical Review, University of Central Florida

http://philosophy.cah.ucf.edu/fpr/files/17_1/Astore.pdf

http://philosophy.cah.ucf.edu/fpr/files/17_1/NOC.pdf

Astore, Rocco A. “Spinoza’s Ontology and the Meaning of Happiness”

Bhatter College Multidisciplinary Journal, India

http://bcjms.bhattercollege.ac.in/

http://www.bcjms.bhattercollege.ac.in/v8/n1/v8n1sc01.pdf

Astore, Rocco A. “Debating Space Through the Göttingen Review: Why Kant’s Transcendental Ideality of Space Exceeds Berkeley’s Subjective Idealist Interpretation”

http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1718/debating-space-through-the-gottingen-review-why-kants-transcendental-ideality-of-space-exceeds-berkeleys-subjective-idealist-interpretation

Astore, Rocco A. “Against Hegel and Marx: In Favor of Danto’s, Benjamin’s, and Löwith’s Critiques of Universal History”

International Journal of Theology, Philosophy, and Science, Romania

http://ijtps.com/en/NO-1-YEAR-I-NOVEMBER-2017/ http://ijtps.com/gallery/no.1%20vol.1,%202017,%20ijtps,%20rocco%20a.%20astore,%20against%20hegel%20and%20marx(1).pdf

Astore, Rocco A. “The Myth of Lilith Throughout Jewish Folklore”

http://www.prachyareview.com/the-myth-of-lilith-throughout-jewish-folklore-by-rocco-a-astore/

Astore, Rocco A. “The Value and Benefit of an Enlightened People for the Continuity of Democratic Societies”

http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1656/the-value-and-benefit-of-an-enlightened-people-for-the- continuity-of-democratic-societies

Astore, Rocco A. “The Importance of Autonomy in Anarchy and Statelessness”

The Anarchist Library

https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/the-importance-of-autonomy-in-anarchy-and-statelessness

Astore, Rocco A. “In Favor of Universal Health Care”

Socrates Multidisciplinary Journal of Kanpur City, India

http://www.socratesjournal.com/index.php/socrates/issue/view/22/showToc

Astore, Rocco A. “The Fundamental Illegitimacy of Fascism and the Innate Desire for Freedom”

http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1628/the-fundamental-illegitimacy-of-facism-and-the-innate-desire-for-freedom

Astore, Rocco A. “Spinoza on God and the Life Led by Reason”

Journal of Awareness of Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Canakkale, Turkey

http://www.academicplatform.net/journals/index.php/JoA/article/view/31/24

Astore, Rocco A. “Is the Body Everlasting? An Extension of Spinoza’s Theory of Immortality”

http://sajms.com/volume-4-issue-3/body-everlasting-extension-spinozas-theory-immortality/

Astore, Rocco A. “The Telos of History as Understood by Hegel”

http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1569/the-telos-of-history-as-understood-by-hegel

Astore, Rocco A. “The Value of Reason in the Stoic Philosophies of Epictetus and Aurelius”

http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1547/the-value-of-reason-in-the-stoic-philosophies-of-epictetus- and-aurelius

Astore, Rocco A. “Was Spinoza a Kabbalist? The Influence of Jewish Mysticism in Book I of Ethics.” Inquiries Journal 8.11 (2016). <http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/a?id=1499>

Astore, Rocco A. 2016. Nagarjuna’s Idealism as a Metaphysical Justification Against Ignorance. Inquiries Journal 8

(06), http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/a?id=1426

Astore, Rocco A. 2016. Defining the Legitimacy and Power of the State Through Weber and Foucault. Inquiries Journal/Student Pulse 8 (05), http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/a?id=1410

Astore, Rocco A. 2016. Plotinus’ Ontology and the Problem of Matter. Inquiries Journal/Student

Pulse 8 (03), http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/a?id=1387

Astore, Rocco A. 2016. Understanding Nirvana in Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism: In Support of Nagarjuna’s Mahayana Perspective. Inquiries Journal/Student Pulse 8 (02), http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/a?id=1370

Astore, Rocco A. 2016. Examining Free-Will Through Spinoza and Descartes. Inquiries

Journal/Student Pulse 8 (02), http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/a?id=1354

Astore, Rocco A. 2016. Comparing the Political Theories of Lao Tzu and Machiavelli: Arguments in

Favor of Political Rights and Fair Leadership. Inquiries Journal/Student Pulse 8

(01), http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/a?id=1338

Astore. Rocco A. “Parmenides’ ‘On the Order of Nature’ and the Reliability of Episteme over Doxa” http://www.retrospectjournal.co.uk/latestarticles/2016/6/23/parmenides –on –the –order –of –nature –and the –reliability –of –episteme –over –doxa