In this class, we will focus on the dilemmas between liberty and justice that modern democratic states face in making state policy. We will discuss how states should make policies in cases where pursuing justice would infringe on individual liberties as well as exactly what liberties and justice are. We will then talk about cases like naming children, restricting sugar content in fast food, smoking regulations, circumcision, and the banning of religious headwear.

In this class, we will spend time covering major philosophical issues in education. This ranges from policy issues like the charter school debate and affirmative action to pertinent philosophical paradigms like equality versus equity. Students interested in better understanding their own position in education and society should take the class. This will be a heavy discussion-based class!

In this course, we will learn about the common cognitive biases that affect the way people interact with each other in society. Discussion topics will include what makes up (and breaks down) how people act, think, believe, and react.

We hear a lot about different types of rights when we talk about justice, law, and even relationships. What exactly are these things that are rights? Who gives them, and who can take them away? What are the different types and categories and what makes them so? We'll discuss rights such as the right to vote, the right to remain in a country, the right to life, the right to someone else's property or work, the right to get revenge or just compensation, and more!

People often confuse what is legally obligated and what is morally obligated. This causes a lot of confusion when discusses personal ethics and morals and their relation to the law. It also causes confusion when legal rules and procedures are taken as moral obligations. We'll discuss the different between moral and legal obligations, when, if, and how they relate, and of course, if it's ever moral to break the law!

For as long as humans have existed, we've debated the existence and properties of a higher being. The arguments in favor of believing in God range from probabilistic accounts (Pascal's Wager), empirical accounts (Design Theory), rational accounts (Aquinas and Causation), experiential accounts (Al-Ghazali on Mysticism), and many more. In this class, we'll go through some of the most popular arguments in favor of believing in God and try to see which, if any, we find convincing!