People & DepartmentsWashington Collegejennifer-benson

Jennifer Benson

Faculty
Philosophy Dept
  • Associate Professor of Philosophy

Benson Headshot

Education
  • Ph.D., Michigan State University, 2005
  • M.A., Michigan State University, 1997
  • B.A., Jacksonville University, 1994
Research Spotlight

What does it mean to be free?  Dr. Benson asks this question at the intersection of feminism, political theory, critical race theory, and post-colonial thought.  Framed in this way, freedom must be understood as a practice of working with others, including the others within, in order to invent alternative forms of action that defy socially enforced scripts of domination and subordination.  This basic idea gives rise to hosts of other philosophical questions which continue to drive Dr. Benson’s teaching, research, and ways of living.  

Research

What does it mean to be free?  Dr. Benson asks this question at the intersection of feminism, political theory, race theory, and post-colonial thought.  Framed in this way, freedom must be understood as a practice of working with others, including the others within, in order to invent alternative forms of action that defy socially enforced scripts of domination and subordination.  This basic idea gives rise to hosts of other philosophical questions which continue to drive Dr. Benson’s teaching, research, and ways of living.  

Teaching

Dr. Benson regularly teaches Intro to Philosophy as well as courses in Feminism, Medical Ethics, Political Philosophy, Critical Race Theory, and Post-Colonial Philosophy.