Teaching
On this page you can find information on a selection of courses I teach, including courses I have taught and those I am prepared to teach. In each of the course descriptions below, you will find a course name, a link to a sample course outline that includes topics and readings for that course, and a short description of the course.
In selecting course materials I am cognizant of financial impediments that students face. To better promote equity and inclusion, all of my courses use exclusively open-access or free-to-use materials.
For more on my pedagogical approach, you can download my Teaching Statement and Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness.
Introduction to Philosophy
In this course, students will learn about traditional issues and problems of philosophy. Topics include the existence of God, the nature of knowledge and belief, minds, personal identity, free will and responsibility, the nature of morality, and the meaning of life. Students will also gain a basic understanding of philosophical methodology, including how to read and write philosophy, how to construct and evaluate arguments, and how to utilize thought experiments.
Critical Thinking
This course introduces students to the basics of reasoning. The first section of this course covers arguments and the use of language. The second section focuses on deductive arguments, inductive arguments, and recognition of fallacies. The last section of this course applies what students have learned to issues such as expertise, fake news and misinformation, writing, and scientific reasoning.
Introduction to Formal Logic
This course offers students an introduction to the basics of formal deductive logic. The course begins by examining the translation of English sentences into formal symbolic language. Following this, students will be introduced to two methods for evaluating formal symbolic language: truth tables and proofs. In the remainder of the course, students will learn the basics of quantificational logic.
Introduction to Ethics
In this course, students will learn about a few of the core issues of ethics. Ethics is an area of philosophy which addresses questions such as “How should I live?” and “What is right and wrong?”. The first section of this course will familiarize students with philosophical methodology to better address these questions. The second section of this course addresses key issues in ethical theory, such as the nature of morality, the nature of right and wrong, and the limits of morality. The final section of this course will examine selected issues in applied ethics.
Contemporary Moral Problems
In this course, students will be introduced to a selection of issues in applied ethics. In the first section of this course, students will familiarize themselves with philosophical methodology and the basics of moral theory. In the remainder of the course, students will apply what they learn in the first section to select moral issues. These issues include abortion, euthanasia, public health and vaccination, genetic enhancement, the death penalty, gun ownership, poverty, immigration, the use of animals, preservation of wilderness and species, and climate change.
Communicating Moral Issues
In this course, students will learn the basics of public speaking and applied ethics. Our everyday lives are filled with different moral issues. How we communicate regarding those moral issues is important for how we understand and respond to those moral issues. This course focuses on preparing students to effectively communicate with others in general, but more specifically it prepares students to effectively communicate regarding important moral issues, such as abortion, the treatment of animals, and climate change.
Animal Ethics
In this course, students will learn about core issues in animal ethics. The first section of this course will familiarize students with philosophical methodology, animal minds, and the moral relevance of pain and death. The second section will survey contemporary moral theories and how those theories apply to our treatment of animals. The third section of this course addresses ethical issues concerning our use of animals. The last section of this course examines animals as moral agents and their connection to political philosophy and law.
Biomedical Ethics
In this course, students will learn about core issues in biomedical ethics. In the first section of the course students will cover basics in philosophical methodology and moral theory. The second section of this course will cover the patient-physician relationship. In the third section of this course students will examine issues related to reproduction. In the fourth section of this course students will survey ethical issues associated with research and allocation of resources. The remaining section of this course will cover select topics.
Environmental Ethics
In this course, students will learn about core issues in environmental ethics. The first section of this course aims to provide students with a foundation for further philosophical investigation by familiarizing students with philosophical methodology and the notion of moral consideration. The second section will focus on the value of species and the preservation of wilderness. The third section of this course will focus on animals, food, and their relationship to the environment. The last section of this course will focus on justice and climate change.
Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
The ethics of artificial intelligence in a relatively new, but burgeoning, area within applied ethics that deals with moral questions related to artificial intelligence and its use. The first section of this course will familiarize students with philosophical methodology, provide a history of artificial intelligence, and address basic issues in describing what artificial intelligence is and is not. The second section of this course will cover concepts in normative ethics, including moral theories, trust, accountability, and risk. The last section of this course will survey applied ethics issues related to artificial intelligence, including relationships with artificial intelligence, education, autonomous vehicles, and military uses of artificial intelligence.
Business Ethics
In this course, students will learn about some of the core issues of business ethics. In the first section of this course students will cover basics in philosophical reading, writing, and methodology. Students will also learn some basic concepts from moral theory. In the second section of this course students will focus on ethical issues related stakeholders. In the third section of this course students will learn about work-place issues related to what employers owe employers and vice versa. The remaining section of this course will cover select topics, such as the future of business, advertising, and artificial intelligence.
Ethics of Partiality
In this course, students will learn about some of the core issues associated with partiality in ethics. Some philosophers think that morality requires abstracting away from personal interest or concerns about our intimates. Others argue that moral decision making that does not account for these features fails to account for a basic component of being human. The first section of this course will focus on topics associated with impartiality, including what justifies our acting impartially, critiques of impartiality, and attempts to accommodate partiality. The second section of this course will provide a survey of the main justifications given for partiality in ethics.