Welcome to the Department of Philosophy!
 The 86th Aquinas Lecture
A Teacher's Dilemma:
Balancing High Expectations with Evidence
By Prof. Jennifer M. Morton, University of Pennsylvania
Friday, October 10, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Fr. John Naus, S.J. Room (A不良研究所 163)
We expect teachers to have high expectations for their students鈥攁 teacher should 'believe' in her students鈥� potential to succeed. At the same time, educational policy is increasingly focused on 鈥榙ata-driven鈥� pedagogy. These two demands give rise to a central dilemma for educators, particularly when available data seems to undermine optimistic expectations. This paper explores this conflict, arguing that its resolution necessitates a reconceptualization of teaching as ethically motivated inquiry. However, the distinctive institutional context of teaching鈥攚here the salience, interpretation, and weighting of evidence are part of institutional design鈥攊ntroduces significant complexities. The paper examines the interplay between ethical and evidential considerations in shaping effective institutional frameworks for teaching.
Professor Jennifer M. Morton received her Ph.D. from Stanford University and her A.B. from Princeton University. She is currently the Presidential Penn Compact Professor of Philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania, with a secondary appointment at the Graduate School of Education. She has previously held positions at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, the City College of New York, the Graduate Center-CUNY, and Swarthmore College. She has also been a Laurance S. Rockefeller Faculty Fellow at the Princeton Center for Human Values. Her 2019 book, Moving Up Without Losing Your Way: The Ethical Costs of Upward Mobility, published by Princeton University Press, was awarded the Grawemeyer Award in Education and the Frederic W. Ness Book Award by the Association of American Colleges and Universities. She is the recipient of the APA鈥檚 Scheffler Prize and the Australasian Association of Philosophy鈥檚 2017 Best Paper Award. Her essay, 鈥淕rit,鈥� co-authored with Sarah Paul, was selected by Philosopher鈥檚 Annual as one of the ten best philosophy papers of 2019.
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Fall 25 Highlights
Why take a philosophy class?
Yes, you have to. But also:
Read the article , and find more information on the benefits of a Philosophy degree here: Why Study Philosophy?
Trying to enroll in a closed class?
Go to Undergraduate Resources for information on how to request enrollment in closed classes.
Considering a career in the health professions?
The following late addition to the PHIL Fall 25 schedule might be just the right course for you!
PHIL 4335 鈥� Biomedical Ethics (3 cr.)
TTh 2pm-3:15pm | Dr. Valentine
In MCC Discovery tier, Basic Needs and Justice theme
Interested in our new Philosophy Disciplinary Honors Program?
Click on the poster to enlarge and check out our dedicated webpage here.
Department News and Events
Cameron Roman, Arthur J. Schmitt Leadership Fellow, explores Indigenous identity and leadership. Read the article in .
The Classical German Philosophy Reading Group is meeting on Thursdays from 12:00-1:00 in MH418 to read Kant's Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals. Contact Dr. Michael Olson for more information and to be added to the email list. All welcome!
The Philosophy Department welcomes Dr. Patrick Ahern, who joins the faculty as a Teaching Assistant Professor in Fall 2025. Dr. Ahern is a political and ethical philosopher whose research focuses on themes of Critical Theory, Early Modern Thought, Human Rights Theory, and Critical Social Justice. He received his Ph.D in Philosophy from Vanderbilt University. Select publications include 鈥淎gitated Americans: Frankfurt School Reflections on National Identity Formation" (Chiasma, An International Site for Thought) and 鈥淓mpowered Peace: Spinoza鈥檚 Defense of Dynamic and Inclusive Democracy鈥� (Journal for Peace and Social Justice).
Congratulations to Dr. Desiree Valentine, who has been awarded a prestigious American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) fellowship to work on her project, "Reproductive Reparations: Justice and the Afterlives of Slavery." See the ACLS announcement .
The Philosophy department celebrated the 2025 graduates and awards winners.
Congratulations to Dr. Claire Lockard, who has accepted a tenure-track position at Lewis University (Romeoville, IL) starting Fall 25. She'll be missed!
Department of Philosophy 不良研究所 Hall, 115 1217 W. Wisconsin Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53233 (414) 288-0977
