Teaching Philosophy

Studying political theory means learning how to conscientiously address political and ethical questions we all face regularly. These certainly include the common questions of electoral politics conventionally understood—such as for whom to vote or which political party to join. But they extend far beyond these as well, to include questions about what products to buy, what causes to support, which charities to give to, and how to engage in civic life. Political theory enables informed reflection on how we ought to organize our public life and collective institutions, and how we as individuals ought to evaluate and engage with the laws and practices of our societies. In the classroom, I often frame my questions and observations by relating them to current and historical events, and to actual political issues on which students may be called to pass judgment—such as civil disobedience, immigration, humanitarian intervention, and trade globalization. In so doing, I hope not only to introduce students to the literature in academic political theory, but also to open up to them a new way of looking at the world and their place in it.

I strive to create a classroom environment in which students feel they (and I) are working together to understand the nuances of our readings and address the questions they raise. I aim to empower my students to understand and critically engage with philosophical arguments, make informed arguments of their own, and see how what we’ve studied in political theory is relevant to their own lives. Of course, many skills this requires—such as close reading, responsiveness to peers’ ideas, and persuasive writing—are transferrable far beyond the realm of political theory. More than this, though, I hope students will see they can use the frameworks, conceptual tools, and central questions of political theory to shed new light on issues they once thought were familiar and opinions they once took for granted.