Teaching and mentoring occupy the center of my academic life. I have taught undergraduate philosophy courses for more than five years, and I view the task of steering students’ intellectual growth as an enormous privilege and responsibility.
In general, my aim as a teacher is to use the history of philosophy to help students develop a more reflective approach toward themselves and the world around them. I believe that education is centrally concerned with the task of self-understanding, and in pursuit of this task I approach the philosophical canon as a dialogue through time that can be used to spur our own dialogue.
My teaching experience includes the following sections:
Philosophical Ethics (syllabus)
In this course we study some of the major normative ethical theories of Western philosophy. We examine the differences between dominant philosophical approaches to ethical reasoning, and we consider different possible answers to our guiding question: ‘what kinds of reasons can we give to support ethical claims?’ It is important to emphasize our concern with normative ethics rather than applied ethics, as our course does not focus primarily on questions of the type ‘what should one do if…?’ Instead, our course focuses on the very nature of ethical reasons. We are interested in the question, ‘what makes an action ethical?’, or even better, ‘what different kinds of reasons can we appeal to when we make claims about ethical behavior?’
Existentialism (syllabus)
In this course we study some of the core themes of existentialist philosophy as well some of the figures most closely associated with existentialism. We begin by examining some of the writings which helped establish existentialism as a school of thought within France during the 1940’s and 1950’s. We move from here to examine the philosophical beginnings of this school in the 19th century, focusing in particular on the writings of Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger (among others). We finish with a deeper glimpse at the role of existentialism in 20th century literature and culture.
Hermeneutics (syllabus)
In this course we examine major texts and ideas within the history of philosophical thinking about understanding and interpretation. The term “hermeneutics” is used to refer to the study of textual interpretation, however since the 18th century it has also been used to refer to philosophical reflection on the practice of interpretation, and in this respect has taken on a wider scope. The terms “hermeneutic philosophy” and “philosophical hermeneutics” are generally associated with Hans-Georg Gadamer and Paul Ricœur, however philosophical inquiry about interpretive practice can be traced far beyond the common usage of these terms.
Philosophy of Human Nature (syllabus)
In this course we analyze human nature through a variety of philosophical perspectives. We read the writing of men and women from diverse backgrounds and time periods, all in an effort to consider some of the questions that human beings have continually been brought back to over the course of history. What is unique about human life? What is possible for us? Can we ever become truly free? Can we achieve legitimate knowledge about the world around us? Can we live with one another in a truly just society? What is the nature of our relationships with one another? What is the nature of our relationship with ourselves?
Human Error: Philosophical and Psychological Perspectives (syllabus)
In this course we study the role of error and bias in human reasoning across various areas and subject matters. We study error, moreover, from a variety of perspectives—perspectives which are primarily centered in philosophy and psychology, but are interdisciplinary in their approach and method. We consider questions such as: what factors lead us to commit errors and develop bias? What kinds of errors are there to make? What can human beings do to avoid errors? How fundamental is error and bias to human life?
Freedom and Responsibility (syllabus)
In this course we study the ways in which human beings have grappled with questions related to freedom, agency, and responsibility. We begin by analyzing older, historically influential philosophical ideas about freedom and responsibility. We move from here to consider more recent philosophical ideas about freedom. Finally, we investigate contributions made by philosophers who have argued that we can’t begin to understand the meaning of human freedom if we don’t reconceptualize things like rationality, sociality, the unconscious, and time.