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Publications in VIVO

Boonin, David

Professor

Positions

Research Areas research areas

Research

research overview

  • Professor Boonin's research focuses on the application of philosophical reasoning to issues in applied ethics such as abortion, punishment, obligations to past generations, obligations to future generations, specific issues relating to race (e.g., affirmative action, reparations for historical injustices, hate speech restrictions), issues involving sexual consent, and issues in the ethics of artificial intelligence.

keywords

  • applied ethics

Publications

selected publications

Teaching

courses taught

  • FYSM 1000 - First Year Seminar
    Primary Instructor - Fall 2018 / Fall 2019
    Provide first year students with an immersive experience in an interdisciplinary topic that addresses current issues including social, technical and global topics. Taught by faculty from across campus, the course provides students with an opportunity to interact in small classes, have project based learning experiences and gain valuable communication skills. Seminar style classes focused on discussion and projects.
  • PHIL 1200 - Contemporary Social Problems
    Primary Instructor - Summer 2018 / Fall 2018 / Spring 2019 / Spring 2021 / Summer 2021 / Fall 2021 / Fall 2022 / Spring 2023
    Examines competing positions in debates over a wide variety of controversial moral, social and political issues. Topics may include: abortion, world poverty, animal rights, immigration, physician-assisted suicide, freedom of religion, hate speech, cloning, income inequality, pornography, gun rights, racial profiling, capital punishment, overpopulation, prostitution, drug legalization, torture. Formerly titled 'Philosophy and Society.'
  • PHIL 2150 - Ethics and Sex
    Primary Instructor - Summer 2018
    Explores a variety of moral questions relating to sex and procreation. Topics may include arguments for and against the wrongness of masturbation, incest, pedophilia, bestiality, necrophilia, voyeurism, pornography, sadomasochism, prostitution, abortion, commercial surrogacy and cloning, as well as arguments addressing such additional subjects as what constitutes rape and whether procreation is morally obligatory, optional, or forbidden.
  • PHIL 2220 - Philosophy and Law
    Primary Instructor - Summer 2019 / Summer 2020
    Considers controversies about the law in general and the U.S. system in particular. Questions may include: What is law? What should the law prohibit (e.g., abortion, drug use, prostitution, cloning)? Is there a moral obligation to obey the law? Can civil disobedience be justified? How do we justify punishing those who break the law? Is capital punishment morally justifiable?
  • PHIL 3930 - Internship in Applied Philosophy
    Primary Instructor - Fall 2018
    Provides an academically supervised opportunity for junior and senior Philosophy students to work in public or private organizations to gain practical knowledge and experience, allowing students to apply philosophical theory to real-world problems while enriching their understanding of philosophy itself through its application. Requires the student to pursue an academic research project and compose an original research paper. Department consent required, as well as a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA. Recommended prerequisite: 9 hours philosophy course work.
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