Teaching

I love teaching: lecturing, tutorial discussion, supervision, all of it.

First, I love the content. Honestly, what could be more exciting than political theory? We tackle fundamental and controversial questions: What is freedom? Is democracy truly the best form of government? What are human rights—and do they actually exist? How can we live well alongside others?

Second, I love introducing students to the practice of close and careful reading. I usually teach through “great books”—classics of political philosophy and moral thought, such as Plato’s Republic, Montaigne’s Essays, Tocqueville’s Democracy in America, Arendt’s The Origins of Totalitarianism, and Rawls’s A Theory of Justice. My goal is to slow down reading and thinking, often dwelling deeply on just one or two texts per semester. This approach helps students develop valuable skills for university life and beyond: charitable interpretation and openness to perspectives very different from their own.

I am proud to have received several teaching awards at The University of Sydney, as well as national and international teaching prizes and fellowships. Please see my CV for details. 

At The University of Sydney, I teach the following courses: GOVT2112 Introduction to Political Theory and PHIL3613 The Philosophy of Human Rights. I am also the director of our new Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy, and Economics Degree.

I am available to supervise honours and postgraduate students in Government and International Relations, as well as Philosophy, at The University of Sydney.