Philosophical Teaching

This introductory course explores a range of topics, including what it means to be moral, how to live a good life, if God exists, if there is such a thing as objective reality, how language works, and what sort of progress science makes (or does not make). The class gives students an opportunity to think about topics related to nature, truth, ethics, and the place of humans in the world in a systematic and critical way, while also thinking about their relevance to debates about free speech, the nature of the mind, the existence of God, justice and so on.

This course investigates the works of existentialist philosophers like Kierkegaard, Dostoevsky, Nietzsche, and Beauvoir, and uses their works to interpret and analyze the philosophical content of angst-ridden cinema from the French New Wave to BoJack Horseman. You’ll learn from Kierkegaard how a commitment to something external to yourself is essential for living authentically. You’ll learn from Dostoevsky how a loving community can be your salvation. You’ll learn from Sartre how other people might be your damnation. You’ll learn from Nietzsche how to make your life an artwork. You’ll learn from Beauvoir how none of us is free unless all of us are free. 

This intermediate course asks students to identify, articulate and think critically about the ethical dimensions of the environment and our relationship to it. Topics include: the value of the natural environment to humans; the value of nonhuman animals, plants, and ecosystems; the structure of environmental problems; and the relevance of concepts such as justice to solutions. The course focuses partly on the contributions of standard philosophical theories to environmental debates, and partly on the challenges that environmental issues raise to common theoretical approaches. 

This course is a case-based introduction to philosophical issues in the law.  Unlike standard philosophy courses, most of the readings in this course are actual judicial opinions from the United States' courts. We will read selections from some of the most important judicial opinions in the history of the United States and explore the philosophical issues raised by them.  This course will teach you to read American case law, analyze the arguments therein, and write about law in a philosophical way.  Topics include: Equal Protections for Race, Due Process Protections for Reproductive Rights and Family Rights, Federalism and Civil Rights Protection, and Rights Against Search and Seizure under the 4th Amendment. Reproductive Rights and Privacy, LGTBQ Rights and Privacy, Civil Rights and Federalism, and Rights Against Search and Seizure and the Fourth Amendment cases.  

Ethical questions encompass a wide variety of moral concerns. In this class, we’ll look at ethical theories from the Western philosophical tradition that provide a philosophical framework for answering these and other ethical questions. We’ll begin with questions about living a flourishing life and how it might be connected to having a good moral character. From there, we’ll consider questions about the nature of right and wrong and the sources of moral value. Finally, we’ll end the class by considering a few contemporary moral problems. In past classes, we’ve explored topics like abortion, animal rights, climate change ethics, the moral responsibilities of scientists, and ethical consumerism. 

The course provides a philosophical introduction to medical ethics aimed at developing students’ abilities to recognize and assess moral conflicts and challenges pertinent to clinical practice. It also provides an introduction to ethical issues related to the wider social context in which clinical decisions are made, such as the health care system, the social determinants of health and structural racism. Students will learn how to write applied philosophical papers. Topics covered include the ethical issues associated with prenatal testing and selection; disability rights; informed consent; abortion; Medicare for All; brain death; racial inequities in health; and health care resource allocation during the COVID-19 Pandemic.