I teach courses in the history of modern philosophy, as well as in Social/Political Philosophy and Ethics. A full teaching portfolio is available upon request. Below I am listing a few exemplary descriptions of courses I am prepared to teach.

German Philosophy: Kant and German Idealism

Seminar | Advanced Undergraduates

Abstract. In the wake of Kant's critical philosophy, German philosophy goes through a period of philosophical excitement and intellectual upheaval. In a space of only roughly thirty years, philosophers such as Fichte, Schelling and Hegel compose a flurry of competing responses to the Kantian proposal, generating new approaches to epistemology, metaphysics, ethics and politics that, in turn, come to define European thought for centuries. But what was this controversy originally about? What aspects of Kant's critical project caused it? What are unifying themes in the various responses to Kant? In what ways do they diverge? And what, if anything, can we today still learn from this brief, yet turbulent period in the history of philosophy? In this upper-level seminar we ask these questions through a careful examination of some of the most important primary texts of that time, and through a thorough discussion of their contemporary implications.

Women Philosophers in the 19th Century

Seminar | Intermediate Undergraduates

Abstract. The history of 19th century European philosophy is often told exclusively as a history of male voices – as a story ‘From Kant to Hegel’, ‘From Hegel to Marx’ and so on. By contrast, the voices of women philosophers (such as Karoline von Günderrode, Bettina von Arnim or Clara Zetkin) are rarely remembered, and even less frequently taught. This course aims to change that. Reading a wide array of texts written by women intellectuals of the time, we will aim to understand their philosophical contributions to German Idealism (e.g. Günderrode and Arnim), Feminism (e.g. Zetkin and Hedwig Dohm) and classical Socialism (e.g. Rosa Luxemburg). We will also examine their relationship to, and, more importantly, their critique of the work of some of their male counterparts (such as Fichte, Schelling, Marx and Nietzsche). Finally, we will consider why these women voices have been so frequently neglected – and why it is, from a contemporary philosophical standpoint, worthwhile to discover them again.

Markets and Morality

Seminar | Graduate level/Advanced undergraduates

Abstract. Markets are everywhere today: if you want to find a job, if you want to buy some good, or if you want to sell some service, you will inevitably have to submit yourself to their norms. Yet, this omnipresence of markets raises fundamental ethical questions. Is it really good that we organize exchange and production largely through markets? How are societies and individuals impacted by centrally relying on them? Should we, much rather, prefer a planned economy? Or would such a planned economy unduly constrain people’s freedom? And, if we opt for markets, what are their moral limits? Should human organs or access to lawmakers be distributed via a market? Should access to health-care be governed by market principles? This seminar explores these ethical and political questions through an unusually diverse set of texts. The syllabus brings together a broad set of perspectives from both the history of philosophy as well as from the contemporary Anglo-American debate. That way, we draw on a broad set of ideas in order to tackle the philosophical, moral and existential challenge that markets pose.

Ideology and Propaganda

Seminar | Undergraduates

Abstract. In contemporary political discourse, we often hear the accusation that a certain belief is “mere ideology” or that a certain piece of political speech is “pure propaganda”. We sometimes even hear that we live in an age where ‘ideological’ conflicts are supposed to have immeasurably deepened, and where we are – for that reason – inundated by ‘propaganda’ in the news or on social media. But what, really, is ideology? What is propaganda? How are they related to one another? And what is their relationship to truth? Is propaganda always made up of lies? Can truth function ideologically? And: What is the ethics of ideology and propaganda? Is all propaganda unethical? Are there ‘good’ ideologies? And how can we overcome flawed ones? This course examines these questions from the perspective of contemporary social philosophy, with an emphasis on both the Marxist and the liberal tradition.