Fred Leavitt

From Philosopedia

Fred Leavitt (12 December 1940 - )

Leavitt was born in Brooklyn, New York, to homemaker Goldie and poet and teacher Ezekiel Leavitt. He has virtually no memories of his father, who died when he was four.

He started his collegiate studies at 16 at the City College of New York, dropped out, went to Brooklyn College, dropped out, and randomly chose Eastern New Mexico University where he graduated with a B. S. in 1964. He received his Ph. D. degree in psychopharmacology in 1968 from the University of Michigan and did post-graduate doctorate work at the University of California, Berkeley 1968-1969.

Leavitt has been on the faculty at California State University, East Bay, California almost all his adult life. He also has taught for one or more semesters at Williams College; Northern Arizona University; the University of British Columbia; the University of Hawaii; the United States International University (in both Kenya and the United Kingdom); the University of Utrecht (Netherlands); Bogazici University (in Turkey); Massey University (in New Zealand); and National University of Singapore (Singapore).

Several of Leavitt's friends call him a radical. He apparently earned the label because he believes in equality of the sexes and races; that women should be allowed control over their bodies; that victimless behaviors like drug use should not be crimes; that gay men and women should have the same rights as everybody else; and that it's wrong to allow a few people to accumulate massive wealth and possessions while millions of others are homeless and go to bed hungry every night. He is dismayed that those beliefs lump him, in the minds of many Americans, with baby killers and devil worshipers.

Leavitt gives occasional talks to medical doctors for their continuing medical education requirements.

In 1964 he married Diane Bright. The Leavitts live in Oakland, California, and have two married daughters and two grandchildren.

Selected Writings

Leavitt, J. & Leavitt, F. (2011) Improving Medical Outcomes: The Psychology of Doctor/Patient Visits. (Rowman & Littlefield)

Leavitt, F. (2009) Key Concepts in Medical and Behavioral Research. (Jain Publishing Company)

Leavitt, F. (2008) The Deep Uncertainty of Existence. (SynergEbooks)

Leavitt, F. (2003) The REAL Drug Abusers. (Rowman & Littlefield)

Leavitt, F. (2003) Evaluating Scientific Research: Separating Fact from Fiction. (Waveland Press)

Leavitt, F (2003) "naturalSCIENCE," Volume 1, Article 15. naturalScience

Leavitt, F. (2000) "Does ‘survival of the fittest’ in evolutionary thinking entail a tautology?" Philosophy Now. Fall, 9. 37.

Leavitt, F. (2000) Evaluating Scientific Research: Separating Fact from Fiction. (Prentice-Hall)

Leavitt, F. (1997) "Resolving Hempel’s raven paradox." Philosophy Now, Winter, p. 31.

Leavitt, F. (1995) Drugs and Behavior, third edition. (Sage Publications)