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"Hi! I'm Heather Wright, the department's political theorist. As Plato's Socrates asserts,
'Knowledge of ignorance is the beginning of wisdom.' To me, this is an excellent starting
place for us all, students and faculty alike, as we quest after knowledge about the nature of
politics. I passionately believe that the great works of political philosophy, which reflect
the extraordinary diversity of human intellect and experience, can and should inform our
understanding of contemporary public affairs and political practice. Let's explore!"
937-327-7992
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Academic Background
B.A. |
Smith College, 1992 Fordham University, 1994 Fordham University, 2006 |
Awards and Recognitions
| Senior Teaching Fellow, Fordham University, Fall 1997-Spring 1998 Bradley Dissertation Fellowship, Summer 1997 Bradley Teaching Fellow, Fall 1996-Spring 1997 Earhart Teaching Fellow, Fall 1995-Spring 1 Presidential Scholarship, Fordham University, Fall 1992-Spring 1998 |
Publications/Works in Progress
| "Heroes or Whores: The Gender Politics of Literary Representation
in DeLillo's pseudonymous Amazons and Plato's Menexenus
," paper presented at the Western Political Science Meeting,
Oakland, California, March 2005 and at the American Political Science
Association Meeting, Washington, D.C., September 2005. Revision
in progress. "Lucrezia in a Mandragola : Machiavelli's New Prince." Interpretation: A Journal of Political Philosophy; invited by the journal to revise and resubmit. |
Courses Taught
| POLI 211 POLI 212 POLI 216 POLI 322 |
Ancient & Medieval Political Philosophy Modern Political Thought American Political Thought Family Values: The Politics of Virtue, Care, and Equality Feminist and Postmodern Political Thought American Constitutional Law |
Research Interests
| My unique mix of specialties includes not only a very strong background in political philosophy, with an emphasis on ancient Greek thought, but an expertise in feminist theory as well. I have a long-standing interest in the connection between political philosophy and public policy and law, evidenced by my work at the New York City Housing Authority and with the author Philip K. Howard on his most recent book The Collapse of the Common Good: How America's Lawsuit Culture Undermines Our Freedom, an exploration of the tension between individual rights and authority in a free society, focusing on several public policy issues including education, affirmative action, and legal regulation of the workplace. In addition, my doctoral minors are in American Politics and Political Economy.
My dissertation, entitled "Plato's Erotic Politics: A New Feminist Reading of the Symposium," is an argument for the continuing relevance of the great works of political philosophy for contemporary public affairs. Beyond my dissertation, I look forward to continuing my exploration of the relation between postmodernism and ancient thought, and politics and literature more generally. I have begun work on a book about Plato and Don DeLillo, a project about which I am very excited, and which builds from my work on the Symposium. I am studying the intersection of life in Athens, as portrayed by Plato, and contemporary life in the United States, as captured in DeLillo's novels. The first chapter, on the Symposium and White Noise, explores the different social mediators we view in each work: the poet and the television, respectively. How does each function politically? How are they similar and how do they differ? And in what way are they integral to the philosophical thought of their respective times, shaping each historical period? I anticipate three additional chapters, each contrasting a Platonic dialogue with a DeLillo narrative, and a final chapter reflecting on the function gender plays in each thinker's work. |
Other Positions
| I am the Pre-Law advisor. |
Other Interests/Info
| I joined the Wittenberg faculty in 2004. My husband Michael and I parent two wonderful children: Olivia and Noah. An avid runner, I've competed in many races, including the Brooklyn Half Marathon! |