Jessica Higa

Ph.D. Candidate

Maple Valley, Washington

Education

B.A. Ave Maria University, Humanities and Liberal Studies, 2015

M.A. Hillsdale College, Politics, 2017

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“I am interested in understanding the best practical regime for the modern world.”

~ Jessica Higa

About

I am interested in understanding the best practical regime for the modern world. This interest has led me to the early modern political theorists: Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau. These theorists explore questions of pertinence to political life today, as they make many exciting claims that about truth outside of history in nature. Their descriptions of human passion and the founding of regimes and the causes of regime failure can be very shocking. I am especially interested how they understand justice, law, morality, piety, honor, religion, and art in terms of the common good.

The simple fact that Hillsdale’s graduate program in politics goes by the name ‘Statesmanship’ is an indication of its unique perspective. The program manages to integrate the study of both the practical workings of government with the study of abstract political philosophy. Few, if any programs, have such a commitment to this combination.

Dissertation

"Necessity and War Powers in Salmon P. Chase's Political Thought" (in progress)

Research Interests

Early Modern Political Theory

Classical Political Philosophy

The Political Thought of Salmon P. Chase

Conference Presentations

“Locke’s Virtue as the Tyranny of the Mind.” Presented at the annual meeting of the Association of Core Texts and Courses, Dallas, TX, April 2017.

"Saving Emile from History? Savages, Solitude and Society in the Second Discourse and Emile." Presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL, April 2018.

"Theory Versus Practice: the Normative Foundation of Salmon P. Chase’s Political Economy in Relation to His Work as the US Secretary of Treasury, 1861-1864." Presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL, April 2019.

Languages

Greek

Latin