Courses Taught at Tufts University
Philosophy of Technology (Fall 2023, Spring 2024) Syllabus
Course description: Technology is integrated into every aspect of our lives. Computers of all shapes and sizes are part of our daily routines, and we now socialize, shop, do our banking, get our news, and even meet potential dates online. Medical innovations have the capacity to alter the course of a person's life, but access to life-saving interventions is contingent on a patient's physical and social position in the world. Emerging AI applications such as Stockfish, IBM Watson and ChatGPT have the ability to perform many tasks as well or better than humans. In this course we will explore how emerging technologies transform the world we live in and how ethical issues arise through these interactions. In doing so, we will be guided by questions such as: what values shape the design and implementation of a technology? Whose life is made better and whose life is made worse? To what extent do we control emerging technologies, and to what extent does it control us? Some topics that we will cover include: social media and identity; privacy and big data; weak and strong artificial intelligence, and transhumanism. Drawing from a range of literature, this course will engage students in interdisciplinary discussions about the opportunities and pitfalls of emerging technologies.
Philosophy of Science (Fall 2023) Syllabus
Course description: This course provides a survey of issues central to the philosophy of science, with the broad goal of giving students better insight in what science is, how it works, and what role it plays in our society. This will include classic topics such as demarcation problems (what is science vs. pseudoscience?) realism vs. antirealism (what can science tell us about what is out there?) explanation (what is a good scientific explanation?) and the role of values in science (what kinds of epistemic and social values guide science?). Alongside these topics, we will also explore newer directions, including discussions of data, measurement and experiment, models and simulations, and the social epistemology of science. We will also consider the relationship between general philosophy of science and the philosophy of particular sciences (biology, physics, etc.), especially in light of recent trends towards increased specialisation.
Courses Taught at the University of Notre Dame
Digital Technology, Society, and Ethics (Fall 2017) Syllabus
Robot Ethics (Summer 2018, Online)
Co-taught with Jude Galbraith
Course Description: This course investigates ethical issues in both the development and application of robot technologies. Through a combination of selected readings and films, interviews with experts, and an innovative use of media, you will develop critical thinking and reasoning skills applicable to this domain and beyond. Topics covered: Introduction to Robot Ethics; Frameworks for Ethical Judgment; Cost-Benefit Analyses; Autonomous Weapons; Self-Driving Cars; Asimov’s Three Laws; Ethics; Programming for Robots Healthcare and Robotics; Prosthetics and Human Enhancement; Robots as Friends and Lovers; Privacy; Technological Unemployment; Robot Rights; Will there be an AI Singularity?; Technological Virtue; Religious Perspectives on Robot Ethics
Courses Taught as Teaching Assistant
Introduction to Philosophy
University of Notre Dame, Spring 2017
Instructor: Jeff Speaks
Instructor: Jeff Speaks
Summer Leadership Seminar: Science, Ethics, and Responsibility (Pre-College Program)
University of Notre Dame, Summer 2016
Instructors: Jessica Baron and Don Howard
Instructors: Jessica Baron and Don Howard