Below are a list of courses/modules that I have either taught or am due to teach during the next academic year 2026-2027.
Below are a list of courses/modules that I have either taught or am due to teach during the next academic year 2026-2027.
Component 1: The Good Life.
This module aims to examine different philosophical answers to the question of what constitutes the good life; what it means to live well. In examining this central question, we will explore Western traditions such as that of Aristotle, Stoicism, Epicureanism, Christianity, and non-Western perspectives, including Confucianism and Islam.
Component 2: Empiricism.
The 17th and 18th centuries mark the beginning of what is called “modern” (western) philosophy. Stimulated by the scientific revolution, western philosophers—including Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, (Trinity’s own) Berkeley, and Hume—addressed issues regarding the ultimate nature of the universe, our knowledge of it, and what view of God it is reasonable to accept. The module is divided into two components. The first will focus on the so-called “rationalists”—Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz. The second will focus on the so-called “empiricists”—Locke, Berkeley, and Hume.
Component 2: Epistemology
Topics will include a selection from the following: Kinds of knowledge, defining knowledge, Foundationalism, Coherentism and relativism.
Component 1: Philosophy of Religion.
This course offers an introduction to some main topics in the philosophy of religion. It begins with an analysis of how philosophical approaches to religion differ from other kinds of approach, such as sociological or theological ones. Then the nature of religious belief and conditions under which it might be rational to uphold are examined. Thereafter the main arguments for God’s existence are examined. There ontological, cosmological, and design arguments are considered. Then three major arguments against God’s existence from evil, hiddenness, and hell are explored. Finally, the epistemic implications of religious experience, and the relationship between God and morality, are examined.
Component 1: David Hume's Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding.
In this component of the module we will be reading two chapters from Hume's Enquiry, 'Of Liberty and Necessity' and 'Of Miracles'. We will be relating themes and questions in these chapters to issues in contemporary philosophy, e.g., free will, causation, religious faith, and the problem of evil.
Most courses in the philosophy of religion leave out important perspectives from non-Western religious traditions. Given that a wide variety of religions are home to rich philosophical traditions, contemporary philosophers are increasingly keen to engage a broader range of perspectives. This module focuses on specifically the Islamic perspective on topics and questions in philosophy of religion. Unlike most explorations of Islamic philosophical thought, this module will focus not on the historic medieval thinkers in the tradition; instead, it will primarily engage the perspective of contemporary Islamic philosophers of religion on the major topics in the discipline, e.g., evidence and religious belief, God’s existence, the problem of evil, and religious diversity.
Component 2: Medieval Philosophy.
The philosophers of this period build on and develop the work of ancient philosophy, especially Plato and Aristotle, mediate through later Greek schools, such a Neoplatonism. Given the diversity of figures and strands in this period, this course will focus on two distinct and influential figures: Avicenna/Ibn Sina (980-1037) and Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274). We will be focusing on three major philosophical areas with respect to both thinkers: epistemology, metaphysics, and place of religion.
This course offers an in-depth exploration into the rich and diverse tradition of classical Islamic philosophy (falsafa). Students will explore the philosophical ideas of major Islamic thinkers, such as al-Kindi, al-Farabi, Ibn Sina (Avicenna), al-Ghazali, and Ibn Rushd (Averroes). The exploration is structured thematically, beginning in the first half of the course with an overview of the Islamic tradition and the main philosophical issues that were discussed by the classical Islamic philosophers (falāsifa).
This course examines pre-philosophical and philosophical thought in Mesopotamian, Indian, Chinese and Greek civilizations until medieval period in interrogating basic and perennial questions of philosophy such as the meaning of life, knowledge, existence, and value.
This course offers an introduction to important ethical theories from Ancient, Islamic, and modern Western philosophy, to the contemporary period.
This course examines central concepts and themes related to religion. It is connects to other philosophical disciplines such as metaphysics, ethics, and epistemology.
This course focuses on the classical or formative period of Islamic Philosophy up until the 11th century (CE). It considers the major metaphysical, epistemological and ethical problems that animated philosophers living in the Islamic world.