Sean Monahan

I study: “The history of political thought, particularly ideas about labor rights in the 18th and 19th centuries. My work focuses on the ways in which liberal, conservative, and socialist thought have approached questions of work, class, and freedom in a trans-Atlantic context. My dissertation focused on early ideas about ‘the right to work’ in France and the United States, and I have also published on the link between the U.S. Working Men’s Parties of the late 1820s and the early intellectual development of Karl Marx.”

This fall I’m teaching: “GOVT 101: Introduction to United States Politics, GOVT 104: Introduction to Political Theory, and GOVT 246: Recent American Political Thought”

What students can expect from me: “Many of this generation’s defining experiences—the 2008 financial crisis, Occupy Wall Street, the Dakota Access Pipeline protests, the mass protests in defense of Black lives—have made questions of democracy, social inequality, and political power more pressing than ever. My teaching aims to provide students with the tools to make sense of the power structures that pervade their everyday lives, and to find effective ways of grappling with and changing the world they inhabit.”

I’m excited to be here because: “Having attended the College of Wooster myself, I have a deep appreciation for the learning environment that liberal arts colleges offer. And I’m very grateful for how supportive and welcoming the faculty and administration have been as I learn the ropes of a new institution. Lafayette seems to be a place where we can achieve real excellence in both teaching and scholarly research.”