Philosophy
My interest in philosophy was sparked during the very first Hutchins class I ever attended, after reading Plato's Allegory of the Cave. Since then, I have gravitated towards the study of philosophy in each of my courses, and have enjoyed using philosophy to think about subjects like religion, morality, freedom, and more. Below are some of the most impactful writings that I have done in my pursuit of this topic; I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them.
Introductions to Philosophy
LIBS 101: The Human Enigma
LIBS 201: Exploring the Unknown
PHIL 375- Drugs, Prostitution, Punishment, and More: Philosophy of Law
In The Problem of Punishment, David Boonin examines the problem of punishment; specifically, why it is permissible for the state to treat those who break the law in a way that would be morally wrong to treat those who have not broken the law.
Boonin argues that there is no ethical solution to the problem of punishment, and therefore, punishment should be abolished. Boonin presents the most common arguments in favor of punishment, and explains why they are morally impermissible before presenting restorative justice (more specifically, victim restitution) as an alternative solution.
In my response to The Problem of Punishment, I argued that a hybrid solution could be the answer to the problem of punishment when victim restitution is not sufficient.
One of the main questions of PHIL 375 was: when can the government infringe on our liberties? What is freedom? When can the government use someone's own self-interest to intervene in personal behavior? In these two essays I examine when the government should be allowed to intervene in regards to: drugs, prostitution, pornography, and personal expression.