Doing Business with City Colleges of Chicago

Department:
World Languages and Cultures

Office Hours:
Thursdays 2:10-6:10 pm. It is best to make an appointment.

Colleges:

• Olive-Harvey College

Courses:

Intro to Phil, Logic, Phil of Rel, World Relig, Ethics

Degrees, Certificates and Awards:

AA, BA, MA, PhD
Certificate in online education and public speaking

Publications:

One of my main concerns is helping students see the pragmatical application of philosophy to their every day life.
I have a few publications and many in the works. My most recent is "Debating Christian Theism" which is a book I am working on with Professors Chad Meister and JP Moreland (Oxford University Press, 2011).

Personal Statement: 

My teaching philosophy (online and on-ground) can be summed up in two words: enthusiasm and duty. It comes from an article entitled “Three Kinds of Men” by C.S. Lewis. The first is the kind that lives only for enthusiasm; the second is the kind who acknowledges that there are morals and rules in life to live by and tries to do what pleases him without compromising those categorical imperatives, as Kant would say. His time in life is divided like a solider who is “on duty” and “off duty.” He sees his world as a time for “duty or work” and time for “pleasure.” The third type of man sees his responsibility and pleasure as one. He does not dread to “wake up Monday and go to work”, he looks forward to it. I am convinced that if one’s enthusiasm and duty in life are not homogenous, they will leave one unfulfilled and ultimately will eradicate their productivity grappling with a life of unyielding monotony. In my case, I believe teaching is a calling or a meaningful experience; it is not only my duty, but also my joy. Because I know that philosophy will encourage individual intellectual growth among my students, it becomes my duty to prepare them accordingly. Thus, I see my role as instructor as one who influences, motivates and provides a positive role model for my students interconnecting one’s duty with one’s pleasure.

Of the many teaching varieties, one of my favorites is the Socratic Method.

I also am very happily married.

Below are my recent speaking engagements:

•Nov 3, 2009 Socratic Project VII Global Warming, Olive-Harvey College, Chicago, IL. Moderator.
•Oct 6, 2009 Socratic Project VI: Debate on Morality. Absolute or Relative? Olive-Harvey College, Chicago, IL. Moderator.
•June 11-14, 2009, "A Defense of the Soul" at the The Toward a Science of Consciousness Conference: Brain, Mind and Technology. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design in Hong Kong, China.
•March 26, 2009 Socratic Project V "Debate on Bioethics: What does it mean to be human in light of abortion and embryonic stem cell research?" Olive-Harvey College, Chicago, IL. Moderator.
•March 14, 2009, “Darwinian Evolution Argument Against Naturalism” at the Darwin’s Reach: Celebrating Darwin’s Legacy Across the Disciplines, conference, Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York.
•March 3, 2009 Socratic Project IV: "Debate on Ideologies of GLBT* and Straight Sexuality, Olive-Harvey College, Chicago, IL. Moderator.
•Nov 19, 2008, “The Paradox of Affluence: Choices, Challenges, and Consequences,” 2008-2010 Honors Study Topic, Phi Theta Kappa, Olive-Harvey College, Chicago, IL.
•Nov 17, 2008, "Socratic Project III: Race and Racism," Olive-Harvey College, Chicago, IL. Moderator.
•Oct 20, 2008 "Socratic Project II: What is the Meaning of Life?," Olive-Harvey College, Chicago, IL. Moderator.
•Oct 4, 2008 "God in Nature: The Unscientific Presuppositions of Naturalism in Science" Biennial Conference in Philosophy, Religion and Culture 2008 –Sydney Australia
•Sept 22, 2008 "Socratic Project I: World Religions Forum," Olive-Harvey College, Chicago, IL. Moderator.
•July 6, 2008, “The Paradox of Naturalism,” Presented at the Society for Philosophy in the Contemporary World at the YMCA The Colorado Rockies, CO.
•June 23, 2008, “Naturalism: A Short Critique” Paper presented to the Religion, Faith, Spirituality: An Interdisciplinary and International Postgraduate Conference on the Past, Present and Future at the University of Bangor in the United Kingdom.
•April, 8, 2008, “Property Dualism Entails Substance Dualism,” Invited to present a poster session at the Center for Consciousness Studies --Tucson, AZ.

Different Organization I participate in:
The Skeptic Society
http://www.skeptic.com/
The Evangelical Philosophical Society
http://www.epsociety.org/
Center for Consciousness Studies
http://www.consciousness.arizona.edu/
The American Philosophical Association
http://www.apaonline.org/

The American Philosophical Association  
Center for Consciousness Studies