As an assistant professor in political theory, I spend more than half my time on teaching, and I thoroughly enjoy it. For a full overview of the courses I have taught in the past, have a look at my CV. Here I will present some of my current courses.
Master Specialisation in Political Theory
Most of my teaching duties are in our MA specialisation Political Theory. This specialisation is not just about interpreting or explaining the world, but also about changing it. From climate change to homelessness, great societal challenges require that we make decent and legitimate political choices. But how can we determine that? Our programme provides students with the tools to evaluate whether and how the exercise of power by political actors and institutions can be justified. Read more about this great programme here.
Sociology, Philosophy and Ethics of Research
In this course for master students of Political Science, we explore the complex relationship between politics and knowledge production. What should be the role of (academic) experts in our political processes, and what is should be the role of politics in the production of knowledge? How can we come to terms with demands for diversity and inclusiveness, and what does this mean for our understanding of ‘scientific objectivity’? See more about the course here.
Urban Political Theory
In this course for master students, that I will co-teach with Sixtine van Ourtryve, we do not only aim to understand how urban space is or was organised, but also how it should be organised. What constitutes a just urban polity? We explore the meaning of core concepts like equality, diversity, care-ethics, citizenship and democracy in an urban context. We discover the moral tensions of urban life, in the form of debates about homelessness, gentrification and segregation, and the rich history of distinctively urban uprisings, like the Paris Commune. More about this course in the study guide.
Thesis Supervision
Both in the bachelor and the master programmes of Political Science at Radboud, students get ample space to develop and study their own research interests. The following list should give you an idea of the richness of the themes that students have studied under my supervision:
- Monopolies and competition in online capitalism
- Pirate Party critiques of Intellectual Property Rights
- Various theses on workplace democracy
- Responsibilities for ecocide
- Various theses on agonism (online, in Corbyn’s politics, corona policies, etc)
- Commons and neoliberalism
- (Socialist) republicanism
Gaard Kets 