Caravaggio's Ethics

It's time for round two of challenging convention here at Baylor.  As I have discussed before, one of the things I love about this job is the leeway we have for developing individual teaching techniques.  For example, last summer I went to New York and attended an art history lecture by a wonderful professor at Wesleyan, John Paoletti.  His presentation was inspiring on several levels-- both in the insights he conveyed and in the way he expressed passion with meaning.  I wanted to do that:  Open minds with giant slides and a laser pointer.  Though the subject of Paoletti's talk was limited to Robert Rauschenberg, the presentation gave me a great idea for a broader use of fine art on the first day of ethics.  Thus, my first-day assignment:  http://law.baylor.edu/CurrentStudents/CS_firstDayAssignments.html.   

In short, the class is structured around three moral principles:  Honesty, engagement, and humility.  I use the paintings to frame and define these principles. 

Get ready, Waco.

-- Mark Osler