Jenny Strandberg, Ph.D.
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I grew up in the north of Sweden and developed an early interest in languages, especially French, and the natural sciences. This, I thought, was an impossible combination that would lead to many desperate visits with the college counselor and trips to the career center. I was not wrong. Midway through a degree in civil engineering, a new world opened up to me through reading feminist literature and social and political theory. I was clearly on the wrong track with my education but what was the right one? I completed my bachelor in the journalism program (thankfully, higher education is free in Sweden), went backpacking in Guatemala, met my future husband, and moved to the United States. It was not until I audited my first course in philosophy that my disparate interests began to make sense. I found that ancient philosophy, Plato’s dialogues especially, was the perfect field of study for me. I received my doctorate from Stony Brook University in 2020 and joined the Sacred Heart faculty in the fall of 2022.
Degrees & Certifications
- Ph.D. in Philosophy from Stony Brook University
- Advanced Graduate Certificate in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Stony Brook University
- MA in Philosophy from Stony Brook Manhattan
- BS in Journalism and Science from Uppsala universitet and and Göteborgs universitet, Sweden
Teaching Responsibilities
In my courses, I strive to set the stage for a genuine intellectual exchange between equals. I believe that philosophy is about gaining new insights on ourselves and the world we live in through reading and interpreting texts from the canon. I have taught courses in every area, but ethics and ancient philosophy have been regular assignments. I also enjoy teaching courses in women’s and gender studies and try to incorporate a feminist perspective in my courses whenever possible. This fall at SHU I am teaching:
- Introduction to Ancient Philosophy
- Critical Thinking
Academic/Scholarly Interests
My scholarship broadly explores Plato’s political philosophy and its relevance for contemporary issues. I emphasize his notion of truth in politics and statesmanship as a form of expertise to cast new light on our modern practices of self-governing. Lately, I have been studying the connections between the Theaetetus, Sophist, and Statesman. My working thesis is that Plato grounds his political project in the Statesman on the indubitable existence of ignorance and false judgements developed in the first two dialogues of the trilogy. If there is one thing one cannot claim is false, it is the claim that there is falsehood. This kind of logic is peculiarly Socratic in nature (at least I know that I don’t know) and a constant source of inspiration for me.
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