Assistant Professor of Philosophy Emily Fletcher comes to the University of Wisconsin-Madison thanks to the 2010 Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Core Humanities Grant, which is helping Dean Gary Sandefur strengthen the University’s offerings in ancient studies.
Fletcher, who just completed her Ph.D. in Classics at the University of Toronto after obtaining her bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, will teach much-needed courses in ancient philosophy as well as courses in moral philosophy. Outside of the Department of Philosophy, she will forge important connections with the Departments of Classics, History of Science, and Psychology.
Welcome, Emily! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am originally from a small town in the foothills of Northern California (near Grass Valley for people who know the area). By small town, I mean barely 2,000 people, no stop light and one general store where you can buy everything from toothpaste to animal feed. After experiencing big-city life in Toronto, coming to Madison I feel like Goldilocks, happy to have found something between the extremes.
What are your research interests?
Although my main field of research is Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy, as a result of my interdisciplinary background (note two Classics degrees), I am also interested in the broad cultural context of Ancient Philosophy. In the ancient world, many philosophers were also poets or scientists, politicians or practicing doctors, and often considering the more general intellectual and literary traditions from which they emerged can illuminate their philosophical perspectives and commitments.
What courses will you teach?
In the fall I will be teaching History of Greek Philosophy, as well as an upper-level undergraduate course called “Plato on Pleasure and Desire,” in which we will look at a different side of Plato. In the spring, I will teach Introduction to Ethics and a graduate seminar on Plato’s Moral Psychology.
What can students expect in the classroom?
I approach teaching as an activity I do with students, and so I expect my students to work at least as hard as I do in the classroom, even in a lecture setting. I like to experiment with different forms of participation (and I’m open to new ideas!), especially when it is not feasible for everyone to speak in class.
Your dissertation was on Plato. If you could ask him one question, what would it be?
“Who was your greatest philosophical inspiration and why?” It might seem like Socrates is the obvious answer, given his prominence in the dialogues, but I think it might be a tossup between Socrates and Aristotle.
What did you know about Madison before coming here?
I had heard that Madison was a beautiful and very livable city. I also felt a personal connection, even though I had never been here, because my great grandfather was from Madison, and his father was here when the city was founded.