My primary goal in teaching is to develop virtuous thinkers. I try to do that by attempting three tasks in my classes. I attempt to inspire curiosity, to develop rigor, and to cultivate charity in my students.

Philosophical questions matter. I’m of the opinion that you can find something at stake for almost any philosophical question since the beliefs we hold have consequences for how we live. Philosophical questions are often "big" questions too, since candidate answers can speak to issues that matter to us at a fundamental level. 

To engage philosophical questions well requires curiosity for openness to a variety of viewpoints. It also requires rigor, since making progress in the effort to find answers necessarily involves critical thinking. And, in a polarized age, where disagreement about fundamental issues is hard enough as it is, our understanding of the answers we adopt must be upheld with charity so that we can engage fairly with those with whom we disagree.