Philosophy of Glub

“Glub.

“Dave Boersema created this term, Glub. Or perhaps he just utilized it? Popularized it (so to speak) in my many philosophy classes with him?

“I don’t know with certainty if he in fact originated Glub. That would be a hard thing to know, as Glub was (and likely is) so many, many things.”

Chris Dillon ’95 was a literature and creative writing major at Pacific University, but Philosophy Professor Dave Boersema — and the notion of Glub — sticks in his memory.

“It is the everything and nothing of that which exists just beyond our ability to name it, to know it. A word that encompasses any abstract quality that we are attempting to understand on a conceptual level. One he used as an example to help illuminate many varied philosophic constructions.

“Glub got around. So promiscuous a word was Glub that I am certain it popped up a minimum of Glub times in four years (though you can check my math on that).

“Because of all this, I believe the following line of reasoning is inescapably true:”

To be a great philosophy professor, one must be filled with an essential quality of Glub.
Dave Boersema is a truly great philosophy professor.
Therefore, Dave Boersema is essentially full of Glub.

As Boersema prepares to retire in Spring 2016, alumni from across four decades — those who were philosophy majors and those from every other corner of the university — are serenading him with their memories and accolades.

Pacific is paying tribute to Boersema’s career and influence on students with the Dave Boersema Philosophy Book Fund. This fund will provide selected philosophy books to noted students in the Philosophy Department for years to come. Help continue his legacy with a gift to the Philosophy Book Fund today.