Teaching
I find teaching to be one of the most important and rewarding aspects of my work.
You can find info on student feedback and courses I've taught below.
You can find info on student feedback and courses I've taught below.
Student Feedback
In my role as teaching assistant for Feminism and Philosophy I was nominated by the students for a:
‘Student Choice Teaching Award for outstanding support to teaching’.
Over 90% of my students across all courses taught found my overall teaching ‘Very Good’ or 'Excellent’
On a scale from 1 (unsatisfactory) to 5 (excellent) students ranked me between ‘Very Good’ and ‘Excellent’
for all four key teaching skills. Graph displays average rankings across all courses taught:
‘Student Choice Teaching Award for outstanding support to teaching’.
Over 90% of my students across all courses taught found my overall teaching ‘Very Good’ or 'Excellent’
On a scale from 1 (unsatisfactory) to 5 (excellent) students ranked me between ‘Very Good’ and ‘Excellent’
for all four key teaching skills. Graph displays average rankings across all courses taught:
J'ai beaucoup apprécié le cours et sa structure, ainsi que l'enseignement de Dr. Silva. Elle a été à l'écoute de nos besoins et figure probablement parmis les meilleurs professeurs que j'ai eu dans mon parcours universitaire à ce jours."
(Anonymous feedback for Notions Fondamentales d'Éthique, Université de Montréal)
Vous êtes une révélation pour moi! Votre intérêt et votre passion pour la philosophie sont si bien transmis et stimulent notre curiosité intellectuelle. J'apprécie tout particulièrement la façon dont vous apportez le contenu, c'est clair, dynamique, vivant et tout semble plus évident. MERCI."
(Anonymous feedback for La Valeur des Emotions, Université de Genève)
Ms Silva is really engaging and encourages us to deeply understand the readings. I also found her feedback on the reading week formative essay extremely useful. She is an excellent teacher."
(Anonymous feedback for History of Philosophy II, University College London)
As Primary Instructor
Féminisme : Théories et Pratiques, Université Laval
(coming Fall 2023)
Émotions et Politique, Université Laval
Ce séminaire explorera le rôle des émotions en théorie politique. Le cours est divisé en trois parties. La première commencera par une réflexion sur le rôle des émotions dans l’histoire de la pensée politique. Dans la première partie du cours, nous aborderons également la question fondamentale de ce que sont les émotions, en nous appuyant sur les développements de la philosophie contemporaine de l’émotion ainsi que de la psychologie. La normativité des émotions, les différentes manières d’évaluer les émotions (comme correctes, instrumentalement bénéfiques, moralement appropriées) seront présentées et étudiées.
Dans la deuxième partie du cours, nous examinerons la nature et les rôles d’un certain nombre d’émotions spécifiques. Celles-ci comprennent la compassion, la colère, la peur et l'envie. L’impact de l'oppression sur les émotions, et le potentiel positif des émotions dans la lutte pour la justice sociale, seront des thèmes centraux tout au long du cours.
La troisième partie du cours appliquera nos riches cadres théoriques pour penser aux émotions dans l’examen de cas pratiques, où les émotions jouent un rôle clé en politique : les mouvements sociaux, les comportements électoraux et l'action climatique. Nous examinerons si et comment notre approche théorique interdisciplinaire peut faire avancer la recherche et la pratique sur ces trois sujets clés.
This is an advanced undergraduate course taught in the seminar style. Syllabus available upon request.
Notions Fondamentales d'Éthique, Université de Montréal
L’objectif général de ce cours consiste à introduire les étudiant(e)s de premier cycle en sciences biomédicales aux théories principales et aux enjeux contemporains de la bioéthique. Il s’agit d’acquérir une culture de base en bioéthique considérée indispensable dans la formation de futurs chercheurs ou professionnels de la santé.
Le premier volet du cours sera consacré à la présentation des principaux concepts et théories en bioéthique. Dans le cadre de cette introduction générale, il y aura lieu d’analyser de plus près les origines philosophiques, c’est-à-dire les doctrines classiques, au fondement de ces courants contemporains et les concepts centraux qui habitent la discipline. Le reste du cours sera d’un caractère plus appliqué, mais il sera informé par les théories de la première partie. Nous aborderons des questions liées à l’éthique de la recherche ainsi que les thèmes de l’avortement et de l’euthanasie, les enjeux de la recherche sur les cellules souches et de l’éthique animale, et les questions de genre et de race dans la recherche et la médecine. Nous nous pencherons également sur la manière d'allouer les ressources de santé au niveau national et international.
This is an undergraduate course aimed at students majoring in biomedical sciences and cognitive neuroscience. Syllabus available upon request.
La Valeur des Émotions, Université de Genève
Emotions have multiple relationships to values. This seminar focuses on one of these relationships, namely the value that emotions have both at the level of the individual who feels them and at the level of the community in which he lives. More specifically, the seminar will explore the nature and value of particular emotions such as admiration, pride, anger, shame, guilt, regret, envy, jealousy, boredom, love, fear, hope, compassion, sadness, disgust, etc. It will begin with a general presentation of the relationship between emotions and values to focus specifically on the types of value (instrumental vs. final, personal vs. impersonal, individual vs. social, moral vs. amoral, etc.) that emotions can exemplify. Then, the seminar will be organized around the reading of texts targeting the normativity that characterizes a particular emotion or family of emotions. In doing so, we will have the opportunity to address some of the following questions: What is the relationship between admiration and virtue? Is hate always immoral? Is shame necessarily social? Can anger have a positive social and political impact? Is envy the source of political egalitarianism? Is compassion the sign of an altruistic will? Are there reasons for love?
This is an MA course co-taught with Professor Julien Deonna, in French. Syllabus available upon request.
Topics in Feminist Philosophy, University College London
The aim of this course is to develop students’ reading, understanding and essay writing skills through engagement with key texts and topics in Feminist Philosophy. The course is divided in three parts – Gender Oppression, Epistemology & Emotions and Political Philosophy & Ethics - which each lasts three weeks. Part I introduces tutees to theorizing about gender oppression. Students will engage with canonical texts where popular terms such as ‘oppression’ and ‘intersectionality’ will be demystified and contextualized. Tutees will then engage with both classic as well as contemporary pieces on the nature of gender. In Part II tutees will consider the feasibility and epistemic benefits of occupying ‘standpoints’. Particular attention will be paid to the emotional responses that may accompany such standpoints, most notably justified anger. In Part III students will tackle three classic issues in feminist thinking in turn: multiculturalism, prostitution and pornography.
This is a first year undergraduate course taught in the tutorial style. Syllabus available upon request.
Emotions: From Mind to Morals, University College London
The aim of this course is to get students to engage seriously with canonical as well as recent work in the philosophy of emotion. The particular focus of the course will be the ‘rationality’ of emotions. To approach this topic, we will need both to consider theoretical issues such as the nature of emotions and their associated epistemology as well as practical concerns such as their role in our daily and political lives. The course comprises 3 sections, each of which will span 3 weeks. Section 1 focuses on three influential theories of emotion. Section 2 focuses on what emotional rationality might amount to. While the discussions in these two sections tend to be about emotions in general, in Section 3 we will focus on one emotion in particular, anger. We will consider how what we have covered so far may apply to anger and its political value. Some guiding questions are therefore: What are emotions? In what sense or senses can we rationally assess emotions? And how do such questions bear on the political value of anger?
This is an advanced undergraduate course taught in the tutorial style. Syllabus available upon request
(coming Fall 2023)
Émotions et Politique, Université Laval
Ce séminaire explorera le rôle des émotions en théorie politique. Le cours est divisé en trois parties. La première commencera par une réflexion sur le rôle des émotions dans l’histoire de la pensée politique. Dans la première partie du cours, nous aborderons également la question fondamentale de ce que sont les émotions, en nous appuyant sur les développements de la philosophie contemporaine de l’émotion ainsi que de la psychologie. La normativité des émotions, les différentes manières d’évaluer les émotions (comme correctes, instrumentalement bénéfiques, moralement appropriées) seront présentées et étudiées.
Dans la deuxième partie du cours, nous examinerons la nature et les rôles d’un certain nombre d’émotions spécifiques. Celles-ci comprennent la compassion, la colère, la peur et l'envie. L’impact de l'oppression sur les émotions, et le potentiel positif des émotions dans la lutte pour la justice sociale, seront des thèmes centraux tout au long du cours.
La troisième partie du cours appliquera nos riches cadres théoriques pour penser aux émotions dans l’examen de cas pratiques, où les émotions jouent un rôle clé en politique : les mouvements sociaux, les comportements électoraux et l'action climatique. Nous examinerons si et comment notre approche théorique interdisciplinaire peut faire avancer la recherche et la pratique sur ces trois sujets clés.
This is an advanced undergraduate course taught in the seminar style. Syllabus available upon request.
Notions Fondamentales d'Éthique, Université de Montréal
L’objectif général de ce cours consiste à introduire les étudiant(e)s de premier cycle en sciences biomédicales aux théories principales et aux enjeux contemporains de la bioéthique. Il s’agit d’acquérir une culture de base en bioéthique considérée indispensable dans la formation de futurs chercheurs ou professionnels de la santé.
Le premier volet du cours sera consacré à la présentation des principaux concepts et théories en bioéthique. Dans le cadre de cette introduction générale, il y aura lieu d’analyser de plus près les origines philosophiques, c’est-à-dire les doctrines classiques, au fondement de ces courants contemporains et les concepts centraux qui habitent la discipline. Le reste du cours sera d’un caractère plus appliqué, mais il sera informé par les théories de la première partie. Nous aborderons des questions liées à l’éthique de la recherche ainsi que les thèmes de l’avortement et de l’euthanasie, les enjeux de la recherche sur les cellules souches et de l’éthique animale, et les questions de genre et de race dans la recherche et la médecine. Nous nous pencherons également sur la manière d'allouer les ressources de santé au niveau national et international.
This is an undergraduate course aimed at students majoring in biomedical sciences and cognitive neuroscience. Syllabus available upon request.
La Valeur des Émotions, Université de Genève
Emotions have multiple relationships to values. This seminar focuses on one of these relationships, namely the value that emotions have both at the level of the individual who feels them and at the level of the community in which he lives. More specifically, the seminar will explore the nature and value of particular emotions such as admiration, pride, anger, shame, guilt, regret, envy, jealousy, boredom, love, fear, hope, compassion, sadness, disgust, etc. It will begin with a general presentation of the relationship between emotions and values to focus specifically on the types of value (instrumental vs. final, personal vs. impersonal, individual vs. social, moral vs. amoral, etc.) that emotions can exemplify. Then, the seminar will be organized around the reading of texts targeting the normativity that characterizes a particular emotion or family of emotions. In doing so, we will have the opportunity to address some of the following questions: What is the relationship between admiration and virtue? Is hate always immoral? Is shame necessarily social? Can anger have a positive social and political impact? Is envy the source of political egalitarianism? Is compassion the sign of an altruistic will? Are there reasons for love?
This is an MA course co-taught with Professor Julien Deonna, in French. Syllabus available upon request.
Topics in Feminist Philosophy, University College London
The aim of this course is to develop students’ reading, understanding and essay writing skills through engagement with key texts and topics in Feminist Philosophy. The course is divided in three parts – Gender Oppression, Epistemology & Emotions and Political Philosophy & Ethics - which each lasts three weeks. Part I introduces tutees to theorizing about gender oppression. Students will engage with canonical texts where popular terms such as ‘oppression’ and ‘intersectionality’ will be demystified and contextualized. Tutees will then engage with both classic as well as contemporary pieces on the nature of gender. In Part II tutees will consider the feasibility and epistemic benefits of occupying ‘standpoints’. Particular attention will be paid to the emotional responses that may accompany such standpoints, most notably justified anger. In Part III students will tackle three classic issues in feminist thinking in turn: multiculturalism, prostitution and pornography.
This is a first year undergraduate course taught in the tutorial style. Syllabus available upon request.
Emotions: From Mind to Morals, University College London
The aim of this course is to get students to engage seriously with canonical as well as recent work in the philosophy of emotion. The particular focus of the course will be the ‘rationality’ of emotions. To approach this topic, we will need both to consider theoretical issues such as the nature of emotions and their associated epistemology as well as practical concerns such as their role in our daily and political lives. The course comprises 3 sections, each of which will span 3 weeks. Section 1 focuses on three influential theories of emotion. Section 2 focuses on what emotional rationality might amount to. While the discussions in these two sections tend to be about emotions in general, in Section 3 we will focus on one emotion in particular, anger. We will consider how what we have covered so far may apply to anger and its political value. Some guiding questions are therefore: What are emotions? In what sense or senses can we rationally assess emotions? And how do such questions bear on the political value of anger?
This is an advanced undergraduate course taught in the tutorial style. Syllabus available upon request
As Seminar Leader
|
Duties include running seminars where material delivered in the lecture is discussed inclusively and digested; first marking all final essays; providing additional educational resources and one-to-one office hours with students |
Philosophy of Psychology Focusing on the implications of experimental work in the brain and behaviour sciences for topics in moral psychology. Topics included: Free will, moral motivation and addiction. Advanced final year undergraduate module, KCL. Taught spring 2017 Feminism and Philosophy Weekly topics ranging from metaphysics and epistemology to political philosophy and applied ethics, with the following question ever-present in the background: what is the relationship between feminism and philosophy? Advanced final year undergraduate module, UCL. Taught autumn 2017 and spring 2016 Descartes and Hume Close text readings of Descartes' Meditations and Hume's Treatise. First year undergraduate module, UCL. Taught autumn 2015. |
