Teaching

Seminar Description

Contemporary democracies are said to be in the midst of an “epistemological crisis,” as citizens increasingly grapple not simply with who to believe, but what is true in the first place. Our course examines the origins of and possible solutions to this crisis from philosophical and historical perspectives. We will first explore how philosophers have grappled with what constitutes truth in politics and what endangers it in three historical periods of Western political thought:

(1) from the ancient to the early modern era, when the legitimacy of elites’ exclusive access to truth was increasingly challenged by a growing recognition of the political influence of the common people and the equal rights of all individuals;

(2) from the Enlightenment era to the late 19th century, when modern commerce and empirical science rendered impartiality and objectivity the ideals of public communication and knowledge production, whereas the social splits and political conflicts that accompanied economic and social transformations dimmed the prospect of realizing these ideals;

(3) from the late 19th to the early 21st century, when several theoretical endeavors were made to build public knowledge within a pluralistic society characterized not only by diverse identities but also economic, racial, and gender inequalities.

Corresponding to the three historical periods, our course is structured into three sections, each dedicated to ideas and theories pertinent to truth and politics that emerged in one period. We will also examine how the readings from these sections may help us address the following three questions respectively: What sorts of truth are valuable for politics and why? What makes them difficult to attain? How should we tackle these difficulties? Informed by these philosophical and historical discussions, we will conclude by exploring the possibilities of creating and sustaining public knowledge in contemporary democracies against various obstacles, including epistemic bubbles, echo chambers, conspiracy theories, and intentional lying.

Selected Comments from Students' Course Evaluations

• “Xinzhi did an amazing job at teaching this class. The fact that this was her first class taught as a primary instructor is all the more impressive. She exuded professionalism and has a confident and commanding understanding of political theory.”

• “Xinzhi is just a really great teacher. I was so impressed at how professional she was and how comfortable she was while teaching considering this was the first course she ran herself. Her descriptions of complicated materials are always broken down and explained thoroughly in her presentations, and helped me understand things that I missed while reading. Additionally, she really is so knowledgeable about political theory and it’s really cool hearing how much she knows.”

• “I really liked the professor for this class and think it went great, especially being the first class as the primary instructor. The professor was always willing to explain a concept or author again/more in-depth and set clear expectations for students.”

• “I thought it was a very inclusive class especially with the topics that were discussed.”

• “Xinzhi promoted a very inclusive classroom climate. Right away, our class brainstormed and established some ‘ground rules’ for respectful discussion which were always adhered to. Xinzhi was accepting of different points of view and encouraged healthy discussion between them. Xinzhi was approachable and fostered a classroom climate that made our discussions very enjoyable and engaging.”

• “I found the climate to be very inclusive. People were prompted to elaborate on ideas, spark conversation in what other people said, clarify points, and share variations of their opinions. I also found that people were able to share what they thought without feeling targeted and always feeling like they could add something to the discussion.”

• “Everyone felt involved and nobody was scared to speak up.”

• “Students were really open to explaining things and having discussions where everyone’s thoughts could be heard. I felt respected by my peers and Xinzhi when I spoke in class.”

• “The class size was relatively small, so everyone had the chance to participate if they wanted to, and I found myself always able to give my opinions during small group discussion. Other students never interrupted each other, and the professor always let people give their thoughts without interrupting them either. She always tried to rephrase the opinions/ideas students gave, which I thought demonstrated a great effort to engage with class and make the ideas feel understood; I thought this is what fostered participation. Ultimately, I really liked attending class and looked forward to it.”

• "Incredibly knowledgeable and welcoming! I intentionally took my discussion section with her again this semester because she is my favorite TA I’ve had. Very helpful and kind, even when faced with questions that are difficult."

• "She was very good at working with all types of students. Both talkative and quiet students had ways they could engage with material during discussion."

• "Xinzhi did a fantastic job at creating fascinating conversations during discussion section that still related to the course material. She was an excellent communicator about every aspect of the course and just did a great job all around."

• “Xinzhi is very knowledgeable on all of the content covered in the class. She was great at highlighting the nuances of each piece of literature.”

• “I really enjoyed our group discussions and I always felt like she provided ways of thinking about the course material that I hadn't thought of before. Her feedback was always very helpful and assignments were always returned very quickly.”

• “She was so kind and gave very useful feedback when questions were asked. I loved that we got discussion handouts every week, it made reviewing the material so much easier - so it was greatly appreciated.”

Spring 2022

• “Incredibly thoughtful feedback on written assignments. In all my academics, I've never had as much feedback on such a short piece of writing. I deeply appreciated the insight! Class discussions were also extremely engaging!”

• “Out of the many great talents she has, I believe her quality in explaining political theory deeply and thoroughly was extremely good. She would always explain in detail, so the class understands, and this allowed me to have a better experience for this class.”

Spring 2024

• "Xinzhi did an amazing job leading discussions and was incredibly approachable and helpful. She was very good at clarifying things and is definitely an expert in her topic."

• "She made discussion sections interesting and engaging and I appreciated that she made an effort to prepare us for exams and was responsive to any confusion. She was very knowledgeable about the subject and helped us engage with the material in new ways."

• "She is very well-versed in the course material and can explain any topic in great detail. She is also very prepared for discussion section with comprehensive worksheets."

• "She is always really excited and energetic during discussions, which makes me want to participate more. She is also super helpful when it comes to the essays."

• "Very good at explaining, very responsive, and very helpful."

• “She was wonderful at adding her own spins on the teachings the professor gave us, which really helped to solidify the material and understand it in new ways.”

• “I had discussion with Xinzhi at 8:50 AM and was quite tired, but she kept me very engaged in the conversations and her discussions were structured to really dive deep into the topics. It is obvious that she is very insightful and knowledgeable in the topics she teaches. Xinzhi is the most helpful TAs I have had thus far. She does an excellent job explaining complicated theory. A wonderful TA.”

• “Incredibly helpful feedback, prepared well for essays and exams, great insight into political theory.”

• “Xinzhi is the best TA I have had so far in my time at UW-Madison. She answered emails diligently and always answered my questions and concerns to her best ability. She was very available to talk to and always gave great advice for how to further succeed in this course. I would recommend her as a TA to everyone I know!”

• “I really liked how my TA explained the material through the worksheet and gave us kind of an overview. sometimes the material could be overwhelming with lots of different writers and ideas but my TA made it a lot easier to grasp.”

• “My TA Xinzhi Zhao always made me feel included in conversations, she would explain points of confusion clearly but also really encouraged us to listen to each other and build off each and everyone's interpretations.”