My ultimate aim in teaching is to create an environment in which students can develop their intellectual autonomy. Autonomy arises from interest—when I teach I aim to be responsive to students’ innate philosophical curiosity. People have made progress on deep philosophical questions (e.g., ‘Can we be wrong about whether something is cool, beautiful, or funny?’). Students can enter these dialogues themselves. To do this, they need to understand the point of texts, historical and contemporary. They need to be able to question and assess others’ conclusions. Finally, they need to develop their own, reasoned views. My approach is ultimately one of supporting students, offering empathy, guidance, fairness, and transparency.
*cancelled or covered by another instructor due to the birth of a child