I teach classes in social and political philosophy, ethics, feminist philosophy, and the philosophy of race. I’ve advised thesis projects for honors students and graduate students on a range of topics in these areas. Below are some course descriptions for classes I’ve offered recently. The titles of all theses I’ve advised are listed on my CV.
Introductory Undergraduate Courses
Phil 3710, Sex and Love: This course is a philosophical examination of issues having to do with sex and love. Among the questions we will consider include the following: how should we understand sexual orientation? What is required for sexual consent? Is it wrong to sell sex? What is love? Is monogamy superior to polyamory, or is it the other way around? Is marriage a promise to love?
Phil 3750, Race and Racism: In this course, we will study philosophical issues related to race and racism. The topics we will cover include views of race, racial identity, and racism as well as ethical issues such as racial profiling, mass incarceration, and reparations for racial injustice.
Advanced Undergraduate and Graduate Courses
Undergraduate/Graduate Courses
Phil 4700/6700, Ethics: Normative ethics is the study of what we should do and how we should be. In this course we will explore some leading theories in contemporary normative ethics, including contractarianism, Kantianism, contractualism, utilitarianism, virtue theory and the ethics of care. We will consider how the theories we study can best be formulated and examine the arguments for and against them.
Phil 4800/6800, Social and Political Philosophy: What is justice? When can the state limit the freedom of its citizens? What does equal citizenship require? What do the citizens of a democratic state owe to each other? With these questions in mind, we will examine a number of leading, contemporary theories of domestic justice.
Phil 4860/6860, Feminist Philosophy: Feminists claim that women are oppressed and that they face unjust disadvantages. This course is a philosophical examination of topics such as the metaphysics of gender, the nature of oppression, sexism, misogyny, conceptions of feminism, and the problem with gendered division of labor.
Graduate Seminars
Phil 8810, Seminar in Social and Political Philosophy, Liberalism and Religion: Some people think liberalism is hostile to religious ways of life, treats persons of faith unfairly, or requires persons of faith to compromise their integrity to engage in public, political life. This course is a critical examination of some recent work on liberalism and religion. We will consider: Is it morally permissible to offer faith-based reasons for laws in a liberal democratic state? Does liberalism threaten the integrity of persons of faith? Should liberals recognize religious exemptions from generally applicable laws? Should the liberal state permit private discrimination in places of public accommodation against members of the LGBTQ community? When can the state interfere in gender inegalitarian religious practices?
Phil 8810, Seminar in Social and Political Philosophy, Public Reason Liberalism: Some hold that certain laws and policies in a liberal, democratic state require public justification in order for the state’s use of coercive power to be legitimate. Theories of public justification, however, differ in important ways, including with respect to the kinds of reasons that can serve as justificatory reasons for laws and policies and with respect to the scope of laws and policies to which public reason applies. This course is an examination of two main types of public reason liberalism. We will consider the consensus model of public reason as developed by John Rawls and others as well as the convergence model as found in the work of Kevin Vallier.