Teaching

“Politics and Moral Vision” – Colgate University

This course serves as the department’s thematic introduction to political theory. My approach to teaching this course focuses on the major concepts, theories, and paradigms that constitute Western liberal thinking: rights, equality, justice, and legitimate authority. I teach these liberal ideas alongside their socialist, perfectionist, fascist, and communitarian alternatives.

“Theories of Democracy” – Colgate University

This course introduces students to the major theories and debates about democracy. First and foremost, what is the meaning and value of democracy? Is democracy valuable because it tends to produce good outcomes (e.g., rational decisions, public utility)? Is the rule of the many inherently more just than the rule of the few? Should we value fair procedures regardless of political outcomes? Secondly, we address the supposed conflict between democracy and constitutionalism. To what extent do constitutions limit the collective power of a people to rule themselves? Should democratically enacted legislation be overruled on the basis of judicial review? The course also examines the institutions and practices that constitute modern democracy: elections, representation, legislation, and deliberation.

“Foundations of Political Thought” – Colgate University

This course introduces students to the major theories, texts, and thinkers in the history of Western political thought, from Aristotle to Nietzsche. We begin by examining the classical republican tradition from Aristotle to Machiavelli. We then turn to theories of political authority based on natural law, reading the works of Aquinas, Vitoria, and Locke. Next, we look at theories of equality and democracy from Rousseau to Frederick Douglass. The final unit of the course examines two major critics of the Enlightenment – Marx and Nietzsche.

“Justice Beyond Borders” – Princeton University
This writing-intensive seminar uses recent debates about global justice to introduce first-year students to different modes of critical thinking and academic writing. Students investigate topics such as humanitarian intervention, mass migrations, and the laws of war through the lenses of both normative and empirical theories. For the final research paper, students construct an argument on a topic of their own choosing while drawing on one or more of the analytical frameworks discussed.

“Modern Political Thought” – New York University
This lecture course introduces undergraduates to major themes and debates in Western political theory c. 1650-1850. Topics explored include the concept of sovereignty, religious toleration, constitutions, the right of revolution, commerce, freedom of thought and expression, and racial and gender inequality.

“Church and State in Medieval and Modern Thought” – Columbia University
This seminar traces the history of ideas regarding the relationship between secular and ecclesiastical authority in the West. We begin by examining three major strands of medieval ecclesio-political thought: hierocratism, caesaropapism, and dualism. These positions are defended by political thinkers such as Thomas Aquinas, Giles of Rome, and Marsilius of Padua. We follow these strands into the early modern era by exploring the political theologies of Martin Luther, Thomas Hobbes, and John Locke. Finally, we look at modern and contemporary debates about the proper role of religion in the secular state, reading the works of Thomas Jefferson, John Stuart Mill, and John Rawls.