Teaching

PH 164: Political Philosophy: Current Debates (Claremont McKenna College)

This course allowed me to think more deeply on issues which are of primordial relevance in today’s world. The issue of reparations is particularly topical as states come to terms with past injustices and the ways these have shaped the world today and its structures. I feel like the course has equipped me to better navigate the problems that may come to even more of a forefront as time goes on and inequalities continue to rise. I believe that the value of this class resides in its objective to leave students with knowledge that is applicable to many of the problems that lead to the stalling of our societies. I enjoyed the collaborative nature of our class and thought that our discussions allowed for a better understanding of the core concepts of the course. The importance of discussion and participation ensured a classroom environment which was conducive to the learning of all participants. 

This class taught me how to look closer at the details of the authors’ writing to understand the nuances in their arguments. I had multiple conversations with Professor Frigault where he would correct me on my word choice because of the way these seemingly small details altered the meaning of the author's argument. This is a powerful lesson that I will take with me to the classes I take. I also really enjoyed the discussion time we had in this class. The opportunity to flesh out the ideas from the reading with my classmates really helped me get a better understanding of the themes of the readings. Sometimes I would come to class thinking one thing but then one of my classmates would point out another facet of the reading that would change my whole perspective. This exercise helped to foster good conversation and collaboration. 

I’m grateful that this was my first higher-level philosophy class because it gave me the opportunity to deeply delve into a few select and intimately connected topics. Often I have found that some classes’ topics are too broad to leave the course feeling like I have a good grasp of its landscape, but I thought that, especially for political obligation, this class extensively dug into a wide range of perspectives and arguments all focused around the same central issues. When it comes to the most recent books we read, I firmly believe that as time goes on and more states crack down on their present injustices, their attention must shift over to their past injustices and, simultaneously, their present ramifications. For this reason, I am glad that our class got a head-start on this issue as we think about what sufficient reparations are, to whom they are due, and how they should be carried out going forward. 

I considered political obligation and my role as a citizen much more (and more deeply) than I would have without this class. The timeliness of those considerations is also a key part of why I am grateful to have taken it. I am not sure if I feel more empowered as a citizen, but I definitely feel more aware which is good. One of the most important things I have gotten out of this class is my understanding of structures. I had some conception of them before, but Young’s work outlined structures and structural injustice in a way that changed how I see the world. I am now aware of how people can act well on an interactional level but poorly on a structural level, and how common this is. I am not yet sure what to conclude from this understanding, but I look forward to getting closer to a conclusion as I continue to live and see structures at play. 

I am quite proud of all the material that we were able to cover and the different topics and theories that I was exposed to. Seeing that this was my first upper level philosophy class (besides logic) I was pleased to be able to experience the great conversations that my classmates and I were able to have. I feel I have been able to progress greatly in regard to political theory and it has made it very interesting to view the current events going on through this lens. I’m glad that Dr. Frigault brought great energy each and every day and helped make the classroom an environment that supported interesting and important conversations. I look forward to continuing my courses in philosophy and I am glad this class prepared me well and fostered my ability to dissect and dive into philosophical theory.