Dr. Burkhardt's research is located primarily within applied ethics, with special interests in death and killing. His ongoing project is to defend the Epicurean view that death is not bad for the one who dies and to explore its implications for other issues in ethics. He is also interested in reproductive ethics, especially the ethics of abortion.
ENVS 3140 - Environmental Ethics
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2025 / Spring 2026
Examines major traditions in moral philosophy to see what light they shed on value issues in environmental policy and the value presuppositions of the economic, ecological, and juridical approaches to the environment. Same as PHIL 3140.
PHIL 1000 - Introduction to Philosophy
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2024 / Spring 2025
Discusses fundamental questions concerning human existence and the nature of reality. Questions may include: Does God exist? Am I the same person I was when I was born? Will I survive the death of my body? Do I have free will? How do I know whether the world around me really exists? What is knowledge? What is truth? What is morality, and how do I know what�s right to do?
PHIL 1100 - Ethics
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2025
Introduces students to moral philosophy by having them study and evaluate prominent moral theories and their application to a selection of real-world moral problems. Theories studied may include utilitarianism, rights theory, virtue ethics, social contract theory, divine command theory, cultural relativism, and natural law theory. Social problems covered may include abortion, world poverty, animal rights, reparations for slavery, gun rights, or similar such controversies.
PHIL 1160 - Introduction to Medical Ethics
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2022 / Fall 2022 / Spring 2023 / Fall 2023 / Spring 2024 / Spring 2025 / Spring 2026
Introduces students to moral dilemmas in medical practice, biomedical research, and health policy, placing them in the context of comprehensive ethical theories and core principles of bioethics. Topics may include: euthanasia; abortion; organ procurement; moral status; research on nonhuman animals; navigating cultural differences between patients and health professionals; and the fair distribution of healthcare resources; as well as the bioethical issues arising from technological advances in medicine, including genetic engineering, cloning, and assistive reproductive technologies.
PHIL 1200 - Contemporary Social Problems
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2020 / 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 3140 - Environmental Ethics
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2025 / Spring 2026
Examines major traditions in moral philosophy to see what light they shed on value issues in environmental policy and the value presuppositions of the economic, ecological, and juridical approaches to the environment. Recommended prerequisite: PHIL 1100 or PHIL 1200 or PHIL 2200 or PHIL 3100 or PHIL 3200. Same as ENVS 3140.
PHIL 3160 - Bioethics
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2021 / Fall 2021 / Fall 2023 / Spring 2024 / Fall 2024 / Spring 2026
Analysis of ethical problems involved in such issues as abortion, euthanasia, organ transplants, eugenics, treatment of the patient as a person and the institutional nature of the health care delivery system. Recommended prerequisite: 6 hours of philosophy coursework.
