Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
9-2020
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Program
Political Science
Advisor
Uday Mehta
Committee Members
Leonard Feldman
Duncan Faherty
Subject Categories
Ethics and Political Philosophy
Keywords
political theory, travel, liberalism, rhetoric, ethics, authority
Abstract
In this dissertation, I use texts by Plato, Locke, Homer, and Gandhi to explore the political dimension of travel. I argue that travel is a proxy for practices and conditions that exceed “normal” politics. In this capacity, travel reveals what normal politics is, or is assumed to be. Travel marks a boundary of the political realm in a double sense: it may conceal or point to a pre-political source of authority; and it may provide an intimation of new political modes and orders. My analyses suggest that there is no single or consistent relationship between travel and politics. Rather, the political meanings of travel are tethered to the political visions of their texts. In this sense, my argument is about the function of travel in political argumentation, not about its trans-textual meaning.
Recommended Citation
Sadre, Nader, "Beast-Gods, Bandits, and Beggar-Kings: The Traveler in Political Thought" (2020). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/4050