Teaching
I aim to foster active learning environments that support students in their continued philosophical growth, analyzing and applying relevant concepts from a contemporary perspective, in light of a historical conversation.
This vision is founded on three co-equal suppositions:
All students, by nature, are capable of learning and motivated to do so.
Education occurs more via empowerment and encouragement than impression and punishment.
The role of the Teacher is to mediate and guide discussions, both in-class and out-of-class.
Sample Syllabi
Introduction to Ethics
Course Thesis: Moral philosophy is the rational pursuit to understand things like ‘right,’ ‘wrong,’
‘good,’ and ‘bad,’ from a contemporary perspective, in light of a historical conversation. Everyday ethics seeks to focus on the application of moral philosophy in ways that are relevant and interesting to normal people.
Critical Reasoning: Discovery, Deduction, and Intellectual Self-Defense
Course Thesis: Critical reasoning involves the skillful assessment of evidence and argument; this course offers basic epistemological training for analyzing the rationality of testimonial, rhetorical, and dialectical claims.
Human Nature and the Meaning of Life
Course Thesis: Socrates famously called philosophy “training for dying” - we can analyze this claim by considering ontological, axiological, and existential questions about what it means to be human. “Philosophies of Life and Death” promotes the interdisciplinary, cross-cultural exploration of these topics from multiple perspectives.