Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Africana Studies Tiffany Montoya explains how she chose to study philosophy and specifically the concept of flourishing.
I’ve always been an inquisitive person, even as a child. I think all children ask questions like “what happens after you die?” but it was always a part of my personality.
As a college freshman, I took a 300-level existentialism class. There were probably prerequisites, but somehow I got in. It was way over my head, but it blew my mind. I was like, “Oh, these are all the questions I’m always asking.”
On the very first day of class, the professor was talking about his interview process before he got the job. He said that they asked him where he wanted to be in 10 years. They were expecting an advancement type of answer, but he said, “Right here. I mean, I get to sit in a classroom with other human beings, talk about the deepest questions of life, and get paid for it.” I thought, “That does seem like a pretty good job.”
“As a college freshman, I took a 300-level existentialism class. There were probably prerequisites, but somehow I got in. It was way over my head, but it blew my mind. I was like, ‘Oh, these are all the questions I’m always asking.’”
I double majored in philosophy and creative writing. The funny thing was that I was afraid of the practicality of being a freelance writer and so I became a philosopher. Apparently my younger self thought there would be a bunch of philosophy firms hiring.
I was a first-generation college student, so the process of getting into grad school was completely foreign to me. All I knew was that if I wanted to be a professor, I needed a Ph.D. I was a McNair Scholar, which is a program that helps underrepresented students apply to and navigate grad school. I was accepted at Purdue University.
I have always been very much aware that some people and some populations suffer more than others. I’m interested in the concept of “flourishing,” a term that philosophers often use to refer to well-being or living a “good life.” When I went into grad school, my question was: Why do some people get opportunities to flourish and other people do not? And I really look at the class dynamics within capitalism that contribute to suffering and hinder flourishing.
In philosophy, our research doesn’t take place in a lab. It’s all through interactions with other humans. They happen at conferences, in debates or conversations, and through books. We read tons of books from all these long-gone philosophers that have valuable things to say about these questions we’re still asking.
“When I went into grad school, my question was: Why do some people get opportunities to flourish and other people do not? And I really look at the class dynamics within capitalism that contribute to suffering and hinder flourishing.”
I conduct research within the branch of philosophy known as critical theory. Critical theory examines society, culture, and power structures with the goal of identifying and challenging oppression, inequality, and dominant ideologies. So, well-being plays a role in this because critical theory is all about finding ways to build a better world where everyone flourishes.
Zachary Mannheimer ’99, a theatre and philosophy double major, is founder and board chair of Alquist 3D, a company that 3D prints commercial and residential buildings.
Muhlenberg’s 23rd varsity team had a successful first season, and the pool of recruits is only expanding as the sport continues to grow at the high school level.
If the public demands objective, unbiased information, the quality of journalism will rise to fight misinformation, hold power to account, and preserve democracy.
