One of the major strengths of the department of Michigan State University is its focus on social and political thought. Faculty are working in an area in which traditional debates over justice, freedom, and equality are increasingly joined in contemporary philosophy by concerns with inequality, power, identity, capitalism, political freedom, democracy, and the rationalization of institutions and practices. In recent years individual faculty have published books and articles on themes in critical theory, Continental philosophy, feminism, African American thought, Hegelian political thought, postcolonial thought, and the critique of liberalism. Issues addressed have been democracy, the politics of knowledge, capitalism, technology, social epistemology, science and democracy, and law. Many dissertations have been written in these areas, and ongoing discussion groups have formed around themes concerning gender, race, and ecology.
Students may make social and political thought their main area of interest or may define a more specific focus within this field, especially in connection with critical theory, post-colonialism, French and German philosophy, and feminist philosophy. Students are encouraged to combine topics from this area with work in other areas of philosophy, such as philosophy and race, philosophy of law, philosophy of technology, environmental philosophy, philosophy of science and philosophy of medicine.
