Welcome to my teaching page.
As a PhD candidate in Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, teaching has been an integral part of my academic journey. I have served as a teaching assistant for both general introductory philosophy courses and an advanced course focusing on the history of modern philosophy, and I was recognized with the Outstanding Graduate Student Teacher Award for my work in 2021. In 2023, I also taught an independent class on the philosophy of mind, further enhancing my teaching experience. Here, you'll find information about courses I have independently taught and courses I have designed, each aimed at exploring complex philosophical concepts and encouraging deep intellectual inquiry.
Minds, Brains, and Persons
What is the nature of the mind? How does it relate to a body and the external world? What makes someone the same person over time? Is it the persistence of the same body? Questions such as these have been the focus of philosophical thinking about the mind for hundreds of years. But they have taken on new urgency with the development of sciences such as psychology, cognitive science, and cognitive neuroscience. In this class, we will consider some of the most important historical answers offered to the questions above, as well as some of the views philosophers have developed in response to the contemporary sciences of the mind.
Dialogues of the Enlightened: Modern Philosophy in Conversations
This course delves into the history of modern philosophy, taking a unique approach that goes beyond traditional narratives. While we will explore the contributions of canonical men philosophers, we will also shine a light on the often-overlooked women philosophers of this period who significantly advanced Enlightenment thought. By putting these men and women philosophers into dialogue, we will examine their philosophical developments not just through their seminal works but also through their correspondences and interactions. We will engage with actual historical discourses and create new interactions based on their philosophical ideas. This method allows us to explore the most important topics in modern philosophy from multiple perspectives, understanding both what these philosophers’ views are and how they communicated the views. By reading different kinds of materials, we will gain a comprehensive understanding of the intellectual exchanges that shaped the philosophical landscape of the Enlightenment.
Introduction to Chinese Philosophy
This course offers an introduction to the major themes and thinkers in Chinese philosophy, spanning from ancient times to the development of Neo-Confucianism. We will explore the foundational texts and ideas of the three major traditions that contributed to the emergence of Neo-Confucianism—early Confucianism, early Daoism, and Chinese Buddhism—examining their development and influence on Chinese culture and thought. With this foundation, we will introduce the dynamic interplay among Confucianism, Daoism, and Chinese Buddhism and how their interactions culminated in the development of Neo-Confucianism. By engaging with English translations of primary texts, the course aims to offer a comprehensive understanding of Chinese philosophical traditions and their relevance to historical and cultural contexts and prepare students for more advanced courses on Chinese philosophy.