Sarah Gustafson brings a wide field of expertise, from French and American and 19th century political thought, to religion, and democratic politics. Her interests include the history of liberalism, ancient political philosophy, American political thought, the Catholic intellectual tradition, and film and political thought.
“Professor Gustafson is going to be a terrific addition to the Politics department,” said Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences Thomas W. Smith. ”She brings a wonderful, rich background. At Harvard, she studied with one of the great political theorists of our time, Harvey Mansfield. She also brings a great Catholic sensibility. She's going to help us with the democracy and citizenship initiative, to explore how we bring people together to address the social challenges we face. Professor Gustafson will be a real driver for those kinds of conversations, not just at Catholic, but she has an emerging national presence.”
We asked Professor Gustafson why she chose Catholic, what she loves about teaching, and what has surprised her about CUA and DC.
What drew you to CUA?
I have long had an admiration for Catholic University. During my years in graduate school, I participated in a number of seminars, fellowships, and other programs at the Thomistic Institute at the Dominican House of Studies, across the street from campus, and at the Institute for Human Ecology. Through these and other opportunities, I came to know some CUA faculty members and learn more about the university, including its distinctive mission to "give to the Republic her best citizens," in the words of Leo XIII.
What Spring 2024 classes will you be teaching?
This semester I am teaching two lecture courses: Introduction to Political Theory and a higher-level lecture, based on a course I designed and taught as a graduate student at Harvard University, titled Anxiety and Restlessness in Western Political Thought. Both are designed to encourage students to see political theory as a lively ongoing conversation that we learn from and in which we ourselves can participate. Both are surveys of the canon, but the first is aimed at the generalist who may elect to go deeper in his or her studies of political theory. The second is centered around a particular theme for more advanced students.
What impact do you hope to make on your students’ education?
To gloss a point often made by a former professor of mine, Harvey Mansfield, often nobility and necessity find themselves opposed to each other. I do believe, however, there is both a nobility and a necessity to handing on the ideas of Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, or Alexis de Tocqueville. I also believe that this handing on -- this tradition -- most often occurs in the classroom. I hope that students not only gain a familiarity or even mastery of the thinkers we read, but that they allow themselves to be formed by learning and evaluating the merits of these ideas. I also hope students learn to be playful with ideas and have fun participating in that tradition, whether in one of my courses, conversations with friends, other classes, or beyond graduation.
You’re also an Institute for Human Ecology scholar. How do you hope to contribute to that program?
The Institute for Human Ecology does wonderful work in bringing together scholars to discuss questions of human flourishing from a distinctly Catholic point of view. That topic is one I think will become increasingly important in our contemporary moment and that is also relevant to my research on nineteenth century social and political thought. I'm looking forward to partnering with them and bringing my talents and interests to their already strong programming. Stay tuned!
You’ve studied at three very different institutions. How do you think that variety has served you as a scholar and teacher?
Though they are different, each uniquely encouraged me and shepherded my development. I remain grateful for the close professor relationships, beautiful campus, and strong Honor Code at Davidson College. During my MA at Queen Mary, I moved from the discipline of History to the History of Political Thought. That was a distinctive turning point for me. There are many wonderful things I could say about my experience at Harvard, but it was especially distinctive and formative for the intellectual community I found in my discipline and for the experiences of teaching undergraduates there.
What experience or person has had the biggest impact on your educational path?
The answer to this could be an essay! For brevity’s sake I will share two related experiences, namely my time studying and researching abroad in France as a junior in college and, subsequently, writing a year-long History Honors Thesis as a senior. The topic was fin de siècle French political culture, particularly the relationship between Catholicism and secular French republicanism in the French public schools. The experience offered a taste of what academic life might be like and raised some fundamental questions about religion and politics I continue to think about many years later as a political theorist.
What’s the most important thing to you about being a teacher?
I am a movie lover, and there are many wonderful movies dedicated to the “inspiring teacher” who hands something on to their students. This is not inaccurate. One of the most important things about teaching is the work of “handing on.” This is especially the case in political theory. I feel indebted to many teachers and professors who handed on to me a knowledge and appreciation of their disciplines. Consequently, the most important thing for me in teaching is continuing this tradition so students hopefully walk away from my courses having had a profound encounter with the tradition of political theory and are prepared to take that classroom encounter – as Socrates says of the encounter of ideas in the dialogue Protagoras – into their own lives.
What is the most surprising thing you’ve discovered about being at CUA and living in Washington, DC?
I did not realize that some of the best pizza in DC was to be found at Menomale, a stone’s throw from campus. That was a fun and delicious surprise.