Religion, Identity, and Social Justice (Spring 2018, Notre Dame)

 

In this community-engaged course, we will address important topics in philosophy of religion in light of our experiences as individuals and community members. In conversation with religious communities in South Bend we will engage topics including: social justice, the problem of evil, art and liturgy, poverty and affluence, and religious experience - and examine these topics as they intersect with facets of identity (including race, gender, class, and ability). 

For more on my teaching, see my teaching statement, course evaluations and sample syllabi (available upon request).

Ethics and Personhood (Spring 2016, Notre Dame)

 

In this course we explored the nature of personhood, and the implications of this nature for various ethical theories, and contemporary ethical issues including: mental disorder, systematic injustice, consumerism, poverty and affluence, and end of life issues. We engaged with mainstream philosophical works, as well as works of contemporary cognitive science, documentaries, films, interviews, recorded debates, speculative fiction, and periodicals.

Moreau First Year Seminar (Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Notre Dame)

 

This two-semester course sequence required of all freshmen at Notre Dame is designed to orient them to a holistic vision of education as that which engages the mind, heart, soul, and community. We addressed a broad range of topics including: sexual assault, diversity, identity, privilege, and mental health. As a part of this course, I led class visits to numerous on and off-campus locations which helped deepen and inform our discussions, such as the South Bend's Civil Rights Heritage Center.

Ethics, Identity, and Freedom (Fall 2017, South Bend Center for the Homeless)

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In this course we explore key questions in philosophy centering on issues of identity (what makes you who you are? what makes life worth living? how do memories and experiences inform identity?) and freedom (how do aspects of identity impact freedom? what other internal and external forces affect freedom?). We then engage practical, ethical topics in conversation with these issues including criminal and social justice, mental health, and beginning and end of life issues.

Other teaching experience:

 

  • God and the Good Life (Spring 2017, Notre Dame) - TA, course development
    In this innovative course students approach philosophy as a way of life - engaging questions including: what should I believe? what are my moral obligations? should I practice a religion? what would it take for my life to be meaningful? The class pairs traditional lectures with large “forum-style” debates with a unique and intensive discussion group experience, modeled after the Sustained Dialogue program. The course also makes use of interactive  and digital components.​

  • Introduction to Philosophy (Fall 2015, Notre Dame) - Head TA

  • Introduction to Philosophy (Spring 2015, Notre Dame) - TA

  • Medical Ethics (Fall 2014, Notre Dame) - TA

Applied Ethics (Spring 2018, Westville Prison, Westville Education Initiative)

 

This course will cover key general ethical and meta-ethical theories, and examine the implications of these theories for pressing, practical ethical issues. We will especially focus on business ethics and medical ethics - examining key topics in each applied ethics area.