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Introducing the Subfields of Political Science: Comparative Politics - Part 2
John von Heyking
By John von Heyking, Aug 25, 2009 in Musings, Pedagogy and Teaching, Publishing and Research
Part 1 is here.


Premodern Islamic attitudes and practices were by and large based on low expectations on what politics can achieve. Humanity is depraved, and tolerating a bad ruler or even tyrant is a matter of getting what one deserves or obtaining the best one can hope for. Because of this low expectation, Muslims historically have been able to keep distance between their political authorities and their religious practices. If one affirms the depravity of one's ruler, then one will take guard to ensure he lacks authority to dictate religious doctrine or practice. Brown observes the Ottoman empire, where the emperor had authority to appoint clerics, marks the greatest extent political authorities were able to influence religious practices.

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The Renewal of Culture and Education in Josef Pieper’s Thought – Part III
Lee Trepanier
By Lee Trepanier, Aug 24, 2009 in Musings, Pedagogy and Teaching

If the political demands of the state are as old as classical antiquity, then the lure of the marketplace is as new as mass education. Although servile education has always existed as a competitor to its liberal counterpart since time immemorial, it has acquired a novel form that makes it more insidious and dangerous. As universities have expanded into small city-states to meet the demands of the marketplace and politics, the conditions for liberal learning have often been lost.

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The Pros and Cons on Advising a Student Organization
Phil Hamilton
By Phil Hamilton, Aug 21, 2009 in Academic Life Outside the Classroom

As a new academic year begins, a number of junior professors will soon be asked to serve as faculty advisors to various student clubs and organizations. There are certainly “pros” and “cons” to performing this service and, for those of you just starting out, here are some things to keep in mind.


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Educating the Millenial Generation - Part II
Gerson Moreno-Riano
By Gerson Moreno-Riano, Aug 20, 2009 in Pedagogy and Teaching
Adapted from an article originally published in the Fall 2008 Canon,
ISI's member and alumni magazine

Part I of this essay is here


Who are these Millennials that fill the classrooms of today’s universities? What has shaped their upbringing and identity?

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The Teaching of Economic Logic: Economics and Beyond
Gabriel Martinez
By Gabriel Martinez, Aug 19, 2009 in Pedagogy and Teaching

In this post I return to the thread of Economics and the Trivium. An important part of an economics curriculum interacts with neighboring disciplines. I suggest that students would be well served by learning how the arguments of those disciplines work, as they apply to economics.

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Introducing the Subfields of Political Science: Comparative Politics - Part 1
John von Heyking
By John von Heyking, Aug 18, 2009 in Musings, Publishing and Research

The fourth and final subfield I cover in my Introduction to Political Studies class is Comparative Politics. This subfield is the most problematic and difficult for two basic reasons.

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The Renewal of Culture and Education in Josef Pieper’s Thought – Part II
Lee Trepanier
By Lee Trepanier, Aug 17, 2009 in Musings, Pedagogy and Teaching

The aim of liberal education is to transform the mind and character of the student so he or she will become a different type of individual—one who, by referencing various disciplines, is capable of discovering insights into complex issues and exercising prudential judgment as a person and as a citizen. However, a liberal education is not enough to transform the entire person, as Pieper recognizes. Education by itself cannot be the means for moral improvement; rather, culture, of which education is a part, is the mode to improve our character.

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On Teaching the Relevance of Political Theory
Steven McGuire
By Steven McGuire, Aug 14, 2009 in Questions, Pedagogy and Teaching

Most of the students in my introductory political theory class are enrolled because they have to be. They cannot graduate as political science majors without taking at least one course in political thought. That presents a special challenge for me as their teacher because I need to convince them that they want to be in my class—or at least I’d like to convince them. Obviously not every student will be persuaded, but I think many of them can be, so I’m looking for ways to make the class more interesting for them. One of the key ways to achieve this, I have found, is to give them examples of the relevance of the materials for life today.

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Educating the Millenial Generation – Part I
Gerson Moreno-Riano
By Gerson Moreno-Riano, Aug 13, 2009 in Pedagogy and Teaching
Adapted from an article originally published in the Fall 2008 Canon,
ISI's member and alumni magazine


Education is the task of crafting the souls of students. It is never simply about conveying information so that students can enlarge their body of knowledge. While education should indeed contribute to a student’s basic knowledge of facts, education is ultimately about cultivating a particular kind of human being.

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Introducing the Subfields of Political Science: International Politics - Part 8
John von Heyking
By John von Heyking, Aug 12, 2009 in Musings, Publishing and Research
Part 7 of this series is here.


Finally, in the 2nd Supplement of To Perpetual Peace, Kant issues his secret protocol, an exception to his rule that all articles to treaties must be public.

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The Lehrman American Studies Center blog helps teachers engage with their peers as they discuss the broad range of pedagogical, intellectual, professional, and cultural challenges facing teachers in higher education today.

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