Large lecture courses. Most recently (Spring 2009), this course was primarily organized topically, with mostly contemporary readings.  Topics included logic, reasoning, and argument analysis; perception, knowledge, skepticism and induction; mind and body, the self, and freewill; faith and reason, the existence of God, and the problem of evil; justice, happiness, egoism, and the state; divine command theory and cultural relativism. Readings were drawn primarily from excerpts from contemporary introductions to these topics by such philosophers as Tim Crane, Richard Feldman, James Rachels, Laurence Bonjour, Mike Martin, Duncan Pritchard, Brian Davies, and William Rowe.  The semester wrapped up with a close reading of portions of Plato's Republic.  Syllabus (Spring 2009).

This approach was a change from the more historical approach I utilized the previous semester (Fall 2008).  The readings included Plato's Euthyphro, Anselm's Proslogian, Aquinas's "Five Ways," Descartes Meditations, and selections from Locke's Essay, Berkeley's Dialogues, and Hume's Enquiry, and a couple contemporary writings. Used Classics of Western Philosophy, edited by Stephen Cahn.  Syllabus (Fall 2008)

Moral Theory and Practice
Large lecture sections and small classes.  Course includes both moral theory and contemporary moral problems. The moral theory half included investigation of cultural relativism, divine command theory, objectivism, subjectivism, egoism, utilitarianism, deontology (Kantian ethics as well as Ross's prima facie duty approach), rights, and virtue theory. The moral issues explored included abortion, euthanasia, famine and affluence, capital punishment, war, torture, and moral responsibility of corporations. I have experimented with a number of different textbooks and approaches.  The newest version of the course will utilize The Fundamentals of Ethics, by Russ Shafer-Landau, and The Ethical Life, edited by Shafer-Landau.  Sylllabus (Spring 2010) coming soon. 

Previous versions of the course: Syllabus (Fall 2008) and textbook.  Syllabus (Spring 2009) and textbook.  Syllabus (Fall 2009) and textbooks one and two.

Semester Year	Course Title	Role	Sections	Enrollment
Spring 2010 Fall 2009 Spring 2009 Fall 2008	Moral Theory and Practice	Instructor	3 3 1 1	324 229 35 32
Spring 2009 Fall 2008	Introduction to Philosophy	Instructor	2 2	216 202

Introduction to Ethics
Full teaching responsibility. Topics included cognitivism and non-cognitivism, objectivism and subjectivism, consequentialism, deontology, rights, and divine command theory, cultural relativism, and their applications to controversial social issues. Text was a course pack with writings by G.E. Moore, Plato, J.L. Mackie, W.D. Ross, Robert Nozick, John Stuart Mill, Derek Parfit, Peter Singer, David Hume, J.J. Thomson, and J.J.C. Smart. Syllabus

Introduction to Philosophy
Full teaching responsibility. Surveyed a cluster of fundamental philosophical questions, including the existence of God, skepticism and knowledge, and mind and body. Organized around readings that included Plato’s Meno and Euthyphro, Aquinas’s “Five Ways”, Descartes Meditations, a selection of Locke’s Essay, Berkeley’s Dialogues, and Hume’s Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion. Course supervisors: Evan Fales and Richard Fumerton. Textbook. Syllabus (Spring 2007). Syllabus (Fall 2003; used similar syllabus for Spring 2004).

Principles of Reasoning
Full teaching responsibility. Course investigated basic logical concepts, informal fallacies, categorical propositions and syllogisms, propositional logic, predicate logic, and issues in language and meaning. Organized around Patrick Hurley’s A Concise Introduction to Logic. Participated in weekly meetings with supervising professor to discuss teaching strategies and develop examinations. Course supervisors: Gregory Landini and David Stern. Syllabus (Fall 2002). Syllabus (Spring 2003).

Graduate Teaching Assistant

Introduction to Ethics
Facilitate weekly discussion sections designed to reinforce and extend the material covered in lecture; grading; participate in weekly meetings with supervising professor to discuss teaching strategies and develop examinations. Course explored metaethical and ethical issues including cognitivism and non-cognitivism, objectivism and subjectivism, consequentialism, deontology, rational and psychological egoism, divine command theory, cultural relativism, and their applications to controversial social issues. Course supervisors: Diane Jeske, Richard Fumerton, Sarah Buss (now at the University of Michigan). Textbook (Fall 2006). Textbook (Spring 2006).

Philosophy and Human Nature
Facilitate weekly discussion sections designed to reinforce and extend the material covered in lecture; grading; participate in weekly meetings with supervising professor to discuss teaching strategies and develop examinations. Course explored historically significant philosophical reflections on human nature, including the metaphysical nature of persons, freewill, egoism and altruism, and the good life. Organized around Plato’s Phaedo, Augustine’s Confessions, Hobbes’s Human Nature, Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, and Butler’s Five Sermons. Course supervisor: Thomas Williams (now at University of South Florida). Syllabus.

Philosophy and the Just Society
Facilitate weekly discussion sections designed to reinforce and extend the material covered in lecture; grading; participate in weekly meetings with supervising professor to discuss teaching strategies and develop examinations. Course explored historically significant philosophical reflections on how the state should be arranged and the relation of the individual to the state. Organized around Plato’s Republic and selections from Hobbes’s Leviathan, Rousseau’s Social Contract, and Mill’s On Liberty and Utilitarianism. Course supervisor: Richard Fumerton. Textbook. Website for most recent version of this course.

Semester Year	Course Title	Role	Sections	Enrollment
Spring 2008	Introduction to Ethics	Instructor	1	24
Spring 2007 Spring 2004 Fall 2003	Introduction to Philosophy	Instructor	1 1 1	35 35 32
Fall 2006 Spring 2006 Fall 2005	Introduction to Ethics	Teaching Assistant	2 2 2	62 57 73
Spring 2003 Fall 2002	Principles of Reasoning	Instructor	2 1	97 31
Spring 2002	Philosophy and Human Nature	Teaching Assistant	2	62
Fall 2001	Philosophy and the Just Society	Teaching Assistant	2	64

Des Moines Area Community College, Boone Campus

Introduction to Ethics
Instructor for one introduction to ethics course (Fall 2009). Course explored general ethical theories as well as ethical issues.  Used The Elements of Moral Philosophy, by James Rachels, and Morality Play: Case Studies in Ethics, by Jessica Pierce.  Syllabus.

Kirkwood Community College

Introduction to Ethics: Business.
Instructor for one introduction to ethics course (Spring 2006) designed for business majors. Course explored general ethical theories as well as ethical issues pertaining to business institutions and practices, including the nature of the corporation and corporate responsibility, employee rights (concerning job security, participation in decision-making, health and safety, equal treatment, and privacy), responsibilities in business practices (honesty, loyalty, and trust), product liability and safety, advertising and deception, responsibilities toward the environment, and affirmative action and diversity. The business ethics portion utilized the textbook Contemporary Issues in Business Ethics (5th edition), edited by Joseph R. DesJardins and John J. McCall. Syllabus.