Teaching Philosophy
Lee Shepski
In teaching philosophy to undergraduates, my foremost commitment has been to not take sides in philosophical debates, for I have found this to be the best way of encouraging students to engage independently with the arguments they encounter. Naturally, I also aim to convey my passion for philosophy, to develop my students’ critical skills, and to impart a clear understanding of relevant views. However, above all, I want my students to break the habit of writing what they think the teacher ‘wants to hear’. In aiming at this goal, I am guided by four principles: (1) always to cover multiple, competing views on any given issue; (2) to present the strongest arguments I can for every view covered; (3) to provide impartial critique of all views covered; and (4) to treat with respect any view that I think at least one student might take seriously, no matter how flawed.1 I also generally avoid revealing which views I myself favor, unless my students explicitly ask.
At the beginning of a course, to spark interest and create a precedent for class participation, I often devote a day to open-ended discussion. In ethics classes, for example, I ask what students would do if they found $200, unidentified, near an ATM. Then I ask what they think they should do — and then I ask them why. The ensuing discussion never fails to engage students, and it introduces the fundamental idea behind philosophical ethics: that we can and should support our answers to ethical questions with reasons. Finally, since there are a variety of good answers to open-ended discussion questions, students gain confidence in contributing to class discussion.
At the same time, I do not shy from the harder work of getting students to develop critical reading, writing, and thinking skills. In my logic and critical thinking classes, for example, I ensure that students engage not only with the textbook but also with expository writing from published sources. In all classes, insofar as is feasible, I emphasize writing in assignments and examinations. I believe the best way for students to improve their critical skills is to be given opportunities and incentives to practice them in an environment where the expectation is that they will perform to high standards. To this end, I resist grade inflation. At the same time, I encourage students to take advantage of the academic support resources available to them, including consultation during office hours. Also, as appropriate, I devote class time to brief introductions to logic and to writing philosophy papers.
With respect to teaching methods, a certain amount of lecture is valuable and necessary, especially at lower levels and in larger classes. However, I encourage students to interrupt lectures with questions, and I devote a significant portion of class time, on a weekly basis, to discussion. Judicious additions of media presentations, guest speakers, and small-group work round out my preferred teaching format. This past summer, for example, I invited a former student to return as a guest speaker for my business ethics class. The speaker was a non-traditional student and a successful entrepreneur, and his ‘real-world’ insights added a valuable dimension to the class.
1 The sole exception would be views that state or imply that members of some groups are inherently less valuable than members of other groups (e.g., overtly racist views). (back to top)