Teaching

My areas of teaching competence include, among other topics, philosophy of mind and psychology, metaphysics (including free will), philosophy of science, ethics, applied ethics, and logic. 

I have taught courses in both the Philosophy and Psychology Departments at Florida State University, University of Alabama, King's College London, Franklin and Marshall College, Iona College, and, most recently, University of Sussex. Below is an overview of some courses I have taught or would be teaching. 

Syllabi available upon request.

For research supervision and advising, see C.V.

METAPHYSICS (Spring 2024, Sussex)

PHILOSOPHY OF AI (Fall 2023; Sussex, co-taught)

THEMES IN ANALYTIC PHILOSOPHY SEMINAR (Spring 2023; 2024; Sussex)

PHILOSOPHY OF MIND (Fall 2022; 2023; Sussex)

MA, WORLD, MIND, BODY (Fall 2022; Sussex)

AESTHETICS (Spring 2023; Sussex)


PHL 363: PHILOSOPHY OF PSYCHOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE (Spring 2019; Spring 2020; Iona College; enrollment 25)

Course Description:

This course is intended to introduce students to the theoretical issues raised by psychological sciences. The questions addressed in this course are continuous with those of philosophy of mind (e.g., How is the mind related to the brain? How are we to understand mental representation?). Hence, philosophy of psychology can be thought of as an empirically-informed perspective on philosophy of mind. Specifically, this course will look in detail at the nature of representation and explanation of cognition within information-processing approaches to the mind and brain. 

In the first part of the course we will cover foundational topics in philosophy of cognitive science, including the history and theoretical commitments of the cognitive sciences, as well as two dominant families of views of the nature of cognition: computationalism and connectionism. 

The second part of the course will apply this background to debates in contemporary cognitive neuroscience. We’ll begin with an introduction to cognitive modeling as an aspect of research in cognitive neuroscience. We’ll then focus on a particular kind of model of cognition, the drift diffusion model, and its application in research on decision-making in both humans and other primates. Using this research as a base, we’ll critically examine the nature and evolution of explanation in contemporary cognitive neuroscience, in particular its connection to the previously discussed computational and connectionist approaches to cognition. We’ll also critically discuss the notion of representation operative in cognitive neuroscience and the extent to which neuroscience captures knowledge about cognitive functions of the brain. 

Finally, in the third part of the course, we will tackle two sets of issues which impact understanding cognition in both biological and artificial minds: embodied cognition and consciousness. For instance, to what extent does our brain’s being an evolved system and its being embodied impact its cognitive processes and representations? Can Artificial Intelligence (AI) be conscious? How, if at all, can we come to find out that AI is conscious? What are the ethical implications of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)? Here we will return to some of the foundational philosophical concerns we had at the beginning of the semester regarding mechanical and multiply realizable intelligent minds. 


PHL 365: PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE (Fall 2018; Fall 2019; Spring 2020; Iona College; enrollment 25; 3 sections)

Course Catalogue Description:

A survey of the development of the relations between the philosophical tradition and modern science. Special attention will be given to the scientific revolutions in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and the philosophical schools of thought during this same period.

Supplementary Course Description:

This course is intended to introduce students to philosophical issues concerning scientific knowledge and methodology, both historical and contemporary. Students will learn to differentiate science from pseudoscience, what is involved in scientific practice, how scientists reason, and what we mean by scientific explanation. We’ll discuss why psychology is in a statistical crisis, whether science gets at the world as it really is, and whether scientific practices involves value beyond truth. For instance, do social and political interests impact the practice of science? Given the impact that scientific findings have on society, what responsibilities, if any, do scientists for reception of their work? We will examine these questions through the lens of contemporary hot issues, such as climate change, intelligent design, and corporate research entities. 


PHI/STS 337: PHILOSOPHY OF NATURAL SCIENCE (Spring 2018; Franklin and Marshall College; enrollment: 21)

Course Catalogue Description:

The goals, methods, assumptions, and limitations of the natural sciences. Special attention will be paid to the philosophy of psychology, cognitive science, and evolutionary biology.

Supplementary Course Description:

This course will cover a number of philosophical issues related to the natural sciences, including topical issues in evolutionary biology and philosophy of psychology and the cognitive sciences, particularly those areas related to evolutionary biology. In the first part of the course we will cover central concepts and issues in evolutionary biology. We’ll investigate the nature of explanation in biology and then focus our discussion on adaptationism. We’ll then narrow our approach to one influential instance of adaptationism, Evolutionary Psychology, as well as assumptions of the modularity of mind. In the second section of the course we will turn to philosophy of psychology, in particular two prominent accounts in the science and origins of morality. We’ll examine both the descriptive and normative accounts of morality drawn from empirical studies and see how the notion of adaptation is utilized in these accounts. Finally, in the third section of the course we will discuss a central focus in the philosophy of cognitive science, the nature of cognition; Here modularity will again feature.

Course Objectives:


CNX 293: DO WE HAVE FREE WILL? (Spring 2018; Franklin and Marshall College; Fall 2019/Spring 2020; Iona College; enrollment: 17)

This course will cover a number of philosophical issues related to free will, drawing from psychology, neuroscience, biology, and physics. What does it mean to act intentionally? Are we morally responsible for our actions? Is there any scientific evidence for or against free will? In assessing both theoretical and empirical work bearing on the free will debate, students will further develop their ability to evaluate arguments, verbally present academic material, and engage in fruitful critical discussion. Students will also complete a research paper, employing the library resources, on a central topic in the free will literature.

Course Objectives:


SPM 499: SENIOR RESEARCH SEMINAR (Fall 2017; Franklin and Marshall College; enrollment: 8)

Intensive research and writing on a topic of the student's choice carried on in a seminar setting. Includes several oral presentations by each student.

By the end of the semester, you will attain and cultivate the skills needed to achieve the following objectives:

·       Deepen an ability to identify and apply connections between psychology and philosophy.

·       Learn to identify gaps in the current state of knowledge and formulate novel, appropriate research questions.

·       Gain proficiency in writing interdisciplinary research papers.


PSY 220: NEUROETHICS (Fall 2017; Franklin and Marshall College; enrollment: 14)

Neuroethics is the study of the moral issues related to the sciences of the mind, especially work on the brain. The course is concerned both with the application of neuroscientific methods to morality and with the ethical issues arising from the scientific study of the mind. The course will cover topical issues such as the ethical use of psychopharmacology and neurotechnology, implications for justice and responsibility in light of neuroscience findings, and the neuroscience of moral judgment.

Here we will look at questions like the following: What restrictions, if any, should we put on the use of advancements in neuroscience? Are we morally obligated to enhance our cognitive abilities if the benefits of doing so far outweigh the costs? What bearing do advancements in neuroscience have on ethical concepts, such as moral responsibility?


PHILOSOPHY OF PSYCHOLOGY II (Spring 2017; King's College London; undergraduate and graduate courses; enrollment: 50)

Emotions play an important role in morality and in politics. This module explores some general features of emotions (and of affective and motivational states) and the role that such mental states, along with reason, play in moral and political thinking and in moral and political behavior. This philosophical exploration will be interdisciplinary, in that it will also include references to and discussion of a variety of ideas from, for example, evolutionary theory, developmental and cognitive psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and sociobiology.


PHILOSOPHY OF PSYCHOLOGY (Fall 2015, King's College London; undergraduate and graduate courses)

This course will cover a number of philosophical issues related to philosophy of mind, philosophy of cognitive science, and philosophy of science. Topics include the following:

Course Objectives: (1) To provide students with a survey of some of the historic and contemporary debates in philosophy of cognitive science and the interplay of these philosophical debates with work in related academic disciplines. (2) To provide students with an understanding of the nature and methods of philosophical theorizing, including the criteria by which arguments in philosophy of mind, philosophy of cognitive science, and philosophy of science are to be assessed. (3) To further foster students’ abilities to think critically, analyze complex problems, evaluate arguments, and argue cogently for their own views both about philosophy of psychology and philosophical topics more generally.


METAPHYSICS (Spring 2016, King's College London; enrollment: 188)

Metaphysics concerns the basic features of reality, covering topics such as personal identity, free will, causation and laws of nature, the nature of time, and material constitution. This course will provide students with a survey of some of the main issues in metaphysics. An emphasis will be placed on critical examination of arguments for and against competing views. Students will have the opportunity to examine and develop their own positions on these issues.

 Some sample questions we will tackle:

Course Objectives: (1) To provide students with an introduction to some of the contemporary debates in metaphysics and the interplay of these philosophical debates with work in related academic disciplines. (2) To provide students with an understanding of the nature and methods of philosophical theorizing, including the criteria by which arguments in metaphysics and related philosophy subfields are to be assessed. (3) To foster students’ abilities to think critically, analyse complex problems, evaluate arguments, and argue cogently for their own views both about metaphysics and philosophical topics more generally.


SPECIAL WRITING TOPICS: FREE WILL AND MORAL RESPONSIBILITY (Spring 2015, University of Alabama; enrollment: 20)

This course will cover a number of philosophical issues related to agency, free will, and moral responsibility. Topics include the following: What does it mean to act intentionally? Do we have free will? Are we morally responsible for our actions? Are free will and moral responsibility compatible with determinism? Are they compatible with indeterminism? Which causal powers and mental capacities do free will and moral responsibility require? Is there any scientific evidence for or against free will?

Objectives: (1) To provide students with a survey of some of the contemporary debates in action theory and the metaphysics of free will and the interplay of these philosophical debates with work in related academic disciplines. (2) To provide students with an understanding of the nature and methods of philosophical theorizing, including the criteria by which arguments in action theory, metaphysics, and ethics are to be assessed. (3) To foster students’ abilities to think critically, analyze complex problems, evaluate arguments, and argue cogently for their own views both about action and free will and philosophical topics more generally. (4) To further develop students’ reading, writing, and oral communication skills to the point where they can communicate in a clear, concise, effective, and articulate manner.


PHILOSOPHY OF MIND (Summer 2014, Florida State University; enrollment: 25)

This course is intended to introduce students to the major topics in philosophy of mind. The first half of this course will focus on central issues in the metaphysics of mind (e.g., dualism, physicalism, functionalism, mental causation) and the nature and explanation of consciousness. The second half will cover personal identity, intentional action, and free will. We will conclude the course with a mini-section on debates in science of action and free will.

Objectives: (1)  To provide students with a survey of some of the contemporary debates in the metaphysics of mind and action theory and the application of these issues in other philosophical subfields. (2)  To provide students with an understanding of the nature and methods of philosophical theorizing, including the criteria by which arguments in philosophy of mind are to be assessed. (3)  To foster students’ abilities to think critically, analyze complex problems, evaluate arguments, and argue cogently for their own views both about the mind and mental phenomena and philosophical topics more generally. (4)  To develop students’ reading, writing, and oral communication skills to the point where they can communicate in a clear, concise, effective, and articulate manner. 


ETHICAL ISSUES (Fall 2012 and Spring 2014, Florida State University; Fall 2014 and Spring 2015, University of Alabama; Fall/Spring 18/19, Iona College; enrollment: ranging from approx. 20-140 per section) 

This course is intended to introduce students to the basic elements of moral philosophy. In the first part of the course we will consider some historic and contemporary ethical theories: (1) Consequentialism, (2) Deontology, (3) Virtue Ethics, and (4) Social Contract Theory. We will also explore topics in ethics from a naturalized and descriptive perspective. In the second part of the course, we will then investigate a number of topics in applied ethics (abortion, moral status of animals, human starvation and poverty), often through the lens of the ethical theories we have previously covered. The third section of the course will focus on a particular set of “hot topics” in applied ethics, those that fall under the umbrella of neuroethics. Here we will look at questions like the following: What restrictions, if any, should we put on the use of advancements in neuroscience? Are we morally obligated to enhance our cognitive abilities if the benefits of doing so far outweigh the costs? What bearing do advancements in neuroscience have on ethical concepts, such as moral responsibility?

Objectives: (1) To demonstrate to students how they can employ reason and argumentation to answer questions about values and morality. (2) To provide students with an understanding of the nature and methods of moral theorizing, including the criteria by which moral theories are to be assessed. (3) To foster students’ abilities to think critically, analyze complex problems, evaluate arguments, and argue cogently for their own views. (4) To develop students’ reading, writing, and oral communication skills to the point where they can communicate in a clear, concise, effective, and articulate manner. (5) To provide students with a survey of some of the leading contemporary moral theories.


REASONING AND CRITICAL THINKING (Summer 2012, Florida State University, enrollment: approx. 50; Summer 2015, University of Alabama, enrollment: approx. 40)

Arguments pervade our daily life: We decide which products to buy on the basis of advertising claims, vote for political candidates on the basis of their campaign promises and arguments for their proposed policies, debate our friends about silly and serious topics, serve on juries to determine the guilt of those accused of crimes, and argue for philosophical conclusions.

These arguments can often influence us to make decisions on extremely important practical and theoretical matters: e.g., Is this defendant guilty of first-degree murder? Is abortion immoral? Is this candidate well qualified for the presidency of the U.S.? Do we have free will?

In this course, we will use example arguments from all of these domains. The goal of the course is to better understand the structure of arguments and know how to critically assess them. This course will cover both inductive and deductive arguments and will instruct you in identifying major fallacies, including ad hominem arguments, strawman arguments, appeal to irrelevant reasons, false dilemmas, etc. Acquiring these skill will help you both better assess others’ arguments and better construct your own.


INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY

This course is intended to introduce students to some central problems in philosophy: Does God exist? How ought we to act? What do we know, if anything? What is knowledge? What is the relationship between mind and body? What kind of thing am I? What is free will, and when, if ever, do we act freely? We will begin the course with a guide to philosophical argumentation and common fallacies. The rest of the course will consist in a survey of some of the main subfields within philosophy: philosophy of religion, ethics, epistemology, philosophy of mind, and metaphysics.

Objectives: (1) To provide students with a survey of some of the central philosophical subfields. (2) To provide students with an understanding of the nature and methods of philosophical theorizing, including the criteria by which arguments in philosophy are to be assessed. (3) To foster students’ abilities to think critically, analyze complex problems, evaluate arguments, and argue cogently for their own views on various philosophical topics of importance. (4) To develop students’ reading, writing, and oral communication skills to the point where they can communicate in a clear, concise, effective, and articulate manner.


BIOETHICS 

Details TBA