My Approach

My principal aim in the classroom is to get students excited about the issues, and to use that excitement to encourage their interest in becoming more critical, more reflective, thinkers. If you take a course with me, prepare yourself for an enthusiastic presentation of the material, interactive experience focused on student participation, with the occasional humorous digression. I strive to make my courses collaborative affairs – I care about how my students see the problems and what seems important to solving them.

Recent Courses

Here’s a little information on what to expect in the courses I teach.

I regularly teach Bioethics and the Philosophy of Law. In Bioethics, we explore some foundational moral issues pertaining to health care and biomedical sciences. Topics include abortion, informed consent, organ donation, and the allocation of medical resources.

In Philosophy of Law, the focus is split between legal doctrine and theoretical issues; that is, we both look at what the law is as well as discuss arguments about what the law should be. The result is that we devote equal time to debating actual cases and Supreme Court decisions as we do looking at theories regarding just punishment and criminalization.

Awhile back, I developed a new course: Philosophy & Superheroes. While philosophy is often given short shrift in pop culture, superheroes are positively ubiquitous. This course examines a range of philosophical topics through the lens of superheroes and the worlds they inhabit. We consider the ethical dimensions of reading minds, justifications of vigilantism, and whether greater power entails greater responsibilities.

More recently, I’ve started teaching Rule of Law. We examine what it means to be under the rule of law, and why (and whether!) that’s a good thing. In particular, we discuss the nature and authority of law, the justification of the criminal law and punishment, and the enforcement of private law.

Apart from those regular offerings, I also teach courses on free will and responsibility, social and political philosophy, and more.

Advising

It is a true pleasure to advise majors and supervise students on independent projects. If you’re considering a philosophy major, or just interested in what the major can offer, I invite you to contact me or stop by my office hours. Philosophy is hands down one of the single greatest majors of all-time. Just ask anyone in my department!