Areas of Expertise

Normative Ethics, Animal Ethics, Epistemology, Logic and Critical Thinking, Engaged Pedagogy

Teaching Interests

Michael McGehee has been teaching since 2013 and at Temple University, Japan Campus since 2022. Currently, he is the coordinator for the Intellectual Heritage Program, so feel free to reach out if you have any questions about the program.  

Michael is dedicated to student-centered learning. He emphasizes student agency, mindfulness, and engagement through student-led discussions that place learners at the center of the classroom. His goal is to help students strengthen their reasoning and writing skills while cultivating clarity, confidence, and reflective awareness in their expression and in their lives. 

Research

As a teacher and a researcher, Michael strives to do work that not just advances theoretical and academic conversations but that also has tangible applications to impacting and improving the lives of his students and fellow educators. His research focuses on ethics and political philosophy, particularly on how individuals can live meaningful and fulfilled lives. He is especially interested in the conditions of non-human animals and the relationship between ethical decision procedure and personal well-being. 

Representative Presentations

“Fostering Critical Thinking Through Student-Led Discussions.” JALT Critical Thinking in the Classroom 2025, Osaka, Japan (2025).  

“Passing the Baton: How Student-Led Discussions Can Increase Student Engagement and Comprehension.” TUJ Conference, Tokyo, Japan (2025). 

Courses Taught at TUJ

Intellectual Heritage 1: The Good Life, Intellectual Heritage 2: The Common Good, Analytical Reading and Writing, Philosophy of the Human, Landscape of American Thought 

Education

MA in Humanities, University of Chicago, 2013  

BA in Philosophy and History (Minor in Music), Cornell College, 2009 

Professional Associations

The Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT)