Akira Nagano: Teaching Political Philosophy

I specialize in the academic field of "political philosophy" and teach a course with this title every year. However, what and how should one teach to say they have taught political philosophy? Of course, it is possible to provide a general explanation of the fundamental problems and the theories of representative political philosophers frequently discussed in this field. Yet, upon gaining such knowledge, many students likely feel that they "don't see the point of such abstract questions."

Taking specific historical backgrounds into account certainly deepens understanding. This is because seemingly abstract questions can be seen as traces of the struggles of people who attempted to solve specific problems in some way. In fact, in my introductory lectures on political thought for beginners, I interpret past political ideas in such a style. However, in that case, the questions asked become historical questions strictly for a specific thinker; the more we understand them, the more they may drift away from us here and now.

Should we then discard history and find the role of political philosophy in constructing theories using rigorous concepts? Today's dominant political philosophy has steered in this direction and achieved rich academic results. By becoming conscious of the methods one uses, one can expect meaningful debates that transcend a mere clash of worldviews. There is certainly a view that the significance of a political philosophy class lies in introducing cutting-edge knowledge produced in such a manner, using contemporary issues as a guide.

Personally, however, I cannot shake an ambivalent feeling regarding this specialization of political philosophy. Perhaps it is because I cannot let go of the vision of "philosophy" as it existed before specialization occurred. Precisely because specialization is advancing in every area of political science today, I cannot help but feel that political philosophy, at least, should be something that overflows those boundaries. Especially when students feel some kind of discomfort in their regular study of political science, could it not be said that helping them verbalize that feeling with even a little more clarity is an important role assigned to political philosophy?