L. K. O'DELL
Teaching
Though I teach a wide variety of courses, I typically teach applied and topical ethics courses. Below, are a few course descriptions. For a complete list of courses, click here.
HEALTHCARE ETHICS
This course will look at theories, topics, and controversies from all levels of modern health care ethics. While much of the discussion will be centered around the ethical obligations that one has as a healthcare provider, we will also approach topics that relate more to issues found in public discourse and in the national health care system. We will also explore ethical dilemmas as they come up through the life cycle. As this is a survey course we will not focus on any one issue extensively, but we will instead explore the key philosophical arguments and consensus positions for the main theories and concepts in health care ethics. We will also consider how these theories and concepts play out in the clinical setting as we discuss real and hypothetical cases.
INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY: MORALITY AND SOCIETY
The role of the citizen is ever-changing and largely determined by the rights, responsibilities, and obligations that society impresses upon it. Understanding the moral status of the citizen requires an understanding of the moral systems that form civilization. This entry level course will analyze various moral and ethical traditions in Western philosophy and use them to discuss topics in modern day society. We will read about views people have about (i) right (moral) conduct; (ii) certain moral problems (e.g., abortion, animal rights, environmental rights, the limits of the law, etc.) and; (iii) what one is doing when one is arguing and thinking about ethics.
PHILOSOPHY AND SCIENCE FICTION
Sci-fi has captured the imagination for generations, promising new horizons and perilous futures alike. This course will explore the origins and development of Science Fiction as a genre through the lens of philosophy. Issues of metaphysics, logic, ethics, and epistemology will be analyzed through works of science fiction. In keeping with the mission of Intellectual Inquiry-Arts & Creativity, assignments will have both analytic and creative elements, including a final project that will ask students to create a piece of science fiction. The overall goal of this class is to determine what science fiction can tell us about ourselves and reality on the whole.