Contemporary Ethics, Environmental Ethics and Political Philosophy | The Marlboro Institute for Liberal Arts & Interdisciplinary Studies

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The Marlboro Institute for Liberal Arts & Interdisciplinary Studies at Emerson College is accepting applications from candidates who could teach Contemporary Ethics, Environmental Ethics and Political Philosophy for the Fall 2026 semester, September 2 -December 17, 2026.

PH200 Contemporary Ethics Uses philosophic analysis/arguments to better understand contemporary issues. These may include abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, affirmative action, transgender rights, and others.

PH204 Environmental Ethics considers philosophical ethics in relation to environmental issues. Topics include: religious beliefs as a foundation for environmental commitments, duties, and obligations toward other species; "deep ecology"; ecofeminism; economic imperatives versus environmental concerns; and disproportionate burden of environmental problems borne by certain groups.

PH215 Political Philosophy examines basic themes in the tradition of political philosophy and their implication for our contemporary understanding of freedom, rights, citizenship, justice, legitimacy, the public sphere, and the public good.

Contemporary Ethics (PH200) meets twice a week on Monday/Wednesday from 2:00-3:45 pm.

Environmental Ethics (PH204) meets twice a week on Monday/Wednesday from 6:00-7:45 pm.

Political Philosophy (PH215) meets twice a week on Monday/Wednesday from 12:00-2:45 pm

All of the courses above fulfill the Ethics and Values Perspective of the liberal arts requirements. Additionally, the courses serve as elective courses for the Philosophy Minor.

The Student Learning Outcomes for ethics and values perspective courses are:

• Identify more clearly assumptions about matters of value.

• Increase ability to make reasoned arguments leading to value judgments.

• Improve understanding of how value commitments determine the way we see ourselves and the world.

• Sharpen ability to identify and critically assess systems of reasoning concerning matters of value.

The successful candidate(s) must have the ability to work effectively with faculty, students, and staff from diverse backgrounds. Emerson College is committed to an active, intentional, and ongoing engagement with diversity-in people, in the curriculum, in the co-curriculum, and in the college's intellectual, social, cultural, and geographical communities. Emerson endorses a framework of inclusive excellence, which recognizes that institutional excellence comes from fully engaging with diversity in all aspects of institutional activities. Therefore, we strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate through their teaching, research and service that they can contribute to our excellence in this area.

Emerson College believes the pathway to achieving inclusive excellence is fostering a campus climate where everyone can thrive. As a community of scholars and storytellers, we continually strive to cultivate a collaborative community that draws upon the widest possible pool of talent, characterized by the intentional inclusion of individuals from varied backgrounds, perspectives, beliefs, and values.

Emerson College is the nation's only four-year institution dedicated exclusively to majors in communication and the arts in a liberal arts context. It is located in the dynamic, multi-cultural city of Boston in close proximity to major arts institutions, performing art venues, and research centers. Emerson College has campuses in Los Angeles and the Netherlands, as well as at MCI-Norfolk. At Emerson College, we seek individuals who bring innovation, creativity, and impact to our campuses to increase our depth, breadth, artistry, and diversity in our educational offerings. Emerson's commitment to inclusive excellence is supported by a range of resources.

All interested candidates are required to submit a brief cover letter including which of the above course(s) they are interested in teaching, a current CV, teaching evaluations (if available). A Ph.D. in a relevant field is strongly preferred. Graduate students with ABD status will also be considered.

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the positions are filled.

Please note: In the job application, in the "CV/Cover Letter/Additional Documents" drop box, applicants must include all of the required materials listed above. You can upload each document separately or as a combined PDF. Your application will not be complete without these documents.

If you are having issues uploading, please email facultycareers@emerson.edu

Application Instructions:

Please upload Resume