Nov. 9, 2020
Meet our Newest Graduate: Holly Ching!
Meet our Newest Graduate!
Holly Ching's MA thesis was entitled “Losing the Cosmos: Arendt and Voegelin on the Origins of Modernity”
Holly’s MA thesis was written under the supervision of Dr. Barry Cooper.
Tell us a bit about your thesis! What was it about and what were its main arguments?
My thesis looked at two important narratives on the origins of “modernity.” Framed around a discussion of modern science and method, I considered three themes in the context of Hannah Arendt’s The Human Condition and Eric Voegelin’s New Science of Politics: i) order, ii) alienation, and iii) history. From these explorations I concluded that Arendt’s account of doubt and Voegelin’s account of uncertainty formed an argument highlighting the modern human condition as being in a state of disorder. In light of this, I posited that political scientists needed to use all of the intellectual avenues available to them to try and understand the associated political and philosophical implications.
Any favourite memories from your time at UCalgary Political Science?
Most of my favourite memories involve some combination of early mornings, coffee, instant noodles, and our student offices. I am especially fond of the time my fellow MA student and office mate, Kelsey Gordon and I spent interviewing and getting to know many of the professors for the podcast, The Seventh Floor ,which we created.
Where has your degree taken you now?
I am currently pursuing Doctoral studies in Montreal at Concordia University where I am excited to continue expanding on many of the topics that I began to explore in my MA research.
Any final words of advice?
- Ask for as much feedback as you can.
- Plants really make a difference.
- Get to know all of the professors in the department, even if you don’t have a class with them and aren’t familiar with their field.