Oxford's Bodleian Libraries

Teaching Philosophy

I am passionate about teaching philosophy. Generally, my teaching method is to take my students views seriously, encourage them to develop independent thinking, and to help them express their views.

I have taught a wide range of undergraduate philosophy courses at Oxford. Please see below for a list of classes I’ve taught (and syllabi), for an overview of my teaching experience, and for various teaching aides and guides I’ve written to help my students.

If you have any teaching related questions or would like to use any of these materials please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Teaching Experience

During my time at Oxford I have taught a wide range of topics including tutorials, revision sessions, and lectures both during my time as a DPhil student, and more recently as a Stipendiary or College lecturer at Christ Church, Merton, and Corpus Christi Colleges.

Aside from teaching my duties have included acting as the Director of Studies for undergraduate students, exam marking, writing end of term reports, and other administrative duties including acting as a College advisor to graduate students.

I completed the SEDA-PDF Supporting Learning Award in October 2018.

Philosophy Courses

Tutorial Teaching

The undergraduate philosophy teaching at Oxford mainly takes the form of tutorial teaching. Tutorials are small seminars, typically with 1-3 students per group. Some classes – in particular introductory courses (sc. ‘Mods’ and ‘Prelims’) and revision classes for exams – often involve larger groups.

When teaching tutorials I design my own syllabi which involves setting the reading (based on the Faculty reading lists) students will do, the topics they will write their essays on, and setting and marking the mock exam they take before the start of next term. Students typically write a 1500-2000 word essays in each week of term, and we meet to discuss the content of the essay, and the broader philosophical issues connected to the topic of that week.

Introductory subjects

I have taught the following subjects to first year undergraduates for their First Public Examination (aka. ‘Prelims’ or ‘Mods’):

  • Moral Philosophy
  • Early Greek Philosophy
  • Plato, Euthyphro and Meno

Advanced undergraduate courses

To date I have taught the following ‘Finals’ papers to advanced undergraduates:

  • 101 Early Modern Philosophy
  • 103 Ethics: Syllabus
  • 104 Philosophy of Mind
  • 115 & 130 Plato, Republic (in English and Greek): Syllabus
  • 116 & 132 Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (in English and Greek): Syllabus
  • 133 & 138 Aristotle on Nature, Life, and Mind (in English and Greek): Syllabus

Lectures

In 2017 I gave a series of lectures on Philosophy of Action aimed at advanced undergraduates and graduate students as part of the Faculties DPhil Lecturing Scheme.

Introduction to Philosophy of Action

This four-lecture course aimed to give interested graduated students and advanced undergraduates an overview of the central issues in the philosophy of action. More specifically, the aim was to deepen students understanding of key positions in the philosophy of action, to sharpen their understanding of problems related to the explanation of action, to help them raise critical questions regarding what actions are, how actions are to be explained, and what different theories of actions aim to do.

Teaching Aides and Guides

Here are some guides I have written to help my students: