Teaching Philosophy
As a philosopher and educator I am committed to providing a well-rounded, accessible and transferable philosophical education to my students. I am a firm believer in the value of a philosophical education and in the skills that philosophical reasoning can provide to any student, and in my courses I attempt to bring these skills and lessons to bear on the students' educations and lives.
I have taught at a number of different institutions, including Kansas State University, Owensboro Community & Technical College, Metropolitan State University and the University of Connecticut (Storrs and Hartford campuses). Over the years I've had the opportunity to teach to student bodies which were diverse in terms of race, gender and age, as well as educational background and aspirations. I enjoy being students' first (and often only) interaction with philosophy as a discipline, and aim to give students an understanding of how philosophy can enrich and improve their lives.
At Kansas State I teach a variety of ethics courses and am responsible for teaching the annual introduction to logic course. In my previous stint as the sole philosophy instructor at OCTC, I was responsible for teaching all philosophy courses, including general education courses like Introduction to Philosophy, as well as service courses like Medical Ethics for nursing students.
I have taught at a number of different institutions, including Kansas State University, Owensboro Community & Technical College, Metropolitan State University and the University of Connecticut (Storrs and Hartford campuses). Over the years I've had the opportunity to teach to student bodies which were diverse in terms of race, gender and age, as well as educational background and aspirations. I enjoy being students' first (and often only) interaction with philosophy as a discipline, and aim to give students an understanding of how philosophy can enrich and improve their lives.
At Kansas State I teach a variety of ethics courses and am responsible for teaching the annual introduction to logic course. In my previous stint as the sole philosophy instructor at OCTC, I was responsible for teaching all philosophy courses, including general education courses like Introduction to Philosophy, as well as service courses like Medical Ethics for nursing students.
Selected Courses Taught
For a full list of the courses I have taught as instructor of record, click here.
Introduction to Ethics
Introduction to ethics course composed of three parts: metaethics, normative ethics and applied ethics. Topics include metaethics, utilitarianism, Kantianism, triage, animal ethics, abortion, gun control, consumer ethics, charity, privacy, antinatalism, race, gender, privilege and sexual consent.
Medical Ethics
This course examines various moral issues surrounding medical practice and facing medical professionals. Topics include the right to healthcare, informed consent, patient autonomy, vaccination, procreative ethics and bias in medicine. This course is designed for future medical professionals.
Introduction to Political Philosophy
Introduction to political philosophy through key historical texts, leading up to an in-depth examination of John Rawls' theory of justice as fairness. We closely read selections from Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau and Mill in preparation for understanding how each contribute to the development of Rawls' view. We then read the entirety of Part I of A Theory of Justice, culminating in a careful study of the argument in §26 for the two principles of justice as fairness over the principle of average utility. We conclude with a look at two of Rawls' critics: Okin and Mills, and a reflection on political liberalism as it stands today.
Introduction to Philosophy
This course introduces students to various areas of philosophy by examining historical and contemporary philosophical problems. Topics include: logical paradoxes, lying, the ethics of triage, protests and civil disobedience, personal identity, skepticism, epistemic injustice and the meaning of life.
Business Ethics
This course examines various moral issues in business ethics, including the purpose of business, the nature of work, exploitation, the ethics of advertising and whistleblowing. This course is designed for future business professionals.
Introduction to Logic
Introduction to logic focusing on the relation between logic, reasoning and philosophical problems. Students learn how to translate natural language arguments into formal logic, and how to reason in classical logic, including reasoning with proofs.
Symbolic Logic
Introduction to symbolic logic focusing on the relation between logic, reasoning and philosophical problems. Students learn how to translate natural language arguments into formal logic, and how to reason in classical logic, K3, LP and FDE. Ties between logic and classic philosophical problems are explored, as well as the history of logic in the western and non-western traditions. This course is designed to meet college Quantitative Reasoning requirements.
Introduction to Ethics
Introduction to ethics course composed of three parts: metaethics, normative ethics and applied ethics. Topics include metaethics, utilitarianism, Kantianism, triage, animal ethics, abortion, gun control, consumer ethics, charity, privacy, antinatalism, race, gender, privilege and sexual consent.
Medical Ethics
This course examines various moral issues surrounding medical practice and facing medical professionals. Topics include the right to healthcare, informed consent, patient autonomy, vaccination, procreative ethics and bias in medicine. This course is designed for future medical professionals.
Introduction to Political Philosophy
Introduction to political philosophy through key historical texts, leading up to an in-depth examination of John Rawls' theory of justice as fairness. We closely read selections from Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau and Mill in preparation for understanding how each contribute to the development of Rawls' view. We then read the entirety of Part I of A Theory of Justice, culminating in a careful study of the argument in §26 for the two principles of justice as fairness over the principle of average utility. We conclude with a look at two of Rawls' critics: Okin and Mills, and a reflection on political liberalism as it stands today.
Introduction to Philosophy
This course introduces students to various areas of philosophy by examining historical and contemporary philosophical problems. Topics include: logical paradoxes, lying, the ethics of triage, protests and civil disobedience, personal identity, skepticism, epistemic injustice and the meaning of life.
Business Ethics
This course examines various moral issues in business ethics, including the purpose of business, the nature of work, exploitation, the ethics of advertising and whistleblowing. This course is designed for future business professionals.
Introduction to Logic
Introduction to logic focusing on the relation between logic, reasoning and philosophical problems. Students learn how to translate natural language arguments into formal logic, and how to reason in classical logic, including reasoning with proofs.
Symbolic Logic
Introduction to symbolic logic focusing on the relation between logic, reasoning and philosophical problems. Students learn how to translate natural language arguments into formal logic, and how to reason in classical logic, K3, LP and FDE. Ties between logic and classic philosophical problems are explored, as well as the history of logic in the western and non-western traditions. This course is designed to meet college Quantitative Reasoning requirements.