Are there enough non-Western thinkers in the curriculum of Radboud’s Philosophy, Politics and Society Programme? While the faculty is diversifying the programme, some students argue that this is not happening fast enough. ‘Constructing the curriculum exclusively based on Western thinkers demonstrates that there is an academic blindness.’

Studying philosophy is often limited to well-known names such as Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Nietzsche, or Marx. And while their credibility and influence are undeniable, one might start suspecting that philosophical inquiry is predominantly a Western virtue. That’s why scholars and academics are calling for the diversification of study materials for students. And while Radboud University’s philosophy students stand with that claim, practical obstacles to creating a highly diverse study environment might stand in their way.

‘I think there is an effort to include more non-Western thinkers into the curriculum’, says Bhimbhabhorn Worrajitchutiwat, a third-year Philosophy, Politics and Society (PPS) student from Thailand. At the same time, however, the student has noticed that intentions don’t always translate into action – something that, according to Worrajitchutiwat, is not inherently surprising. ‘I think that an educational system does not suddenly come into existence, but is a continuous developmental process that most often bases its foundation on the resources that are easiest to find, which, in this case, are Western.’

Short-sighted

According to Arjen Kleinherenbrink, coordinator of the PPS programme, philosophers are becoming increasingly aware that it is short-sighted to only associate a single tradition of thought with the word ‘philosophy’. ‘Obviously, there are similar traditions with other origins that equally count as ‘philosophy’, and, as far as the PPS program is concerned, we are increasingly trying to reflect that.’

‘Calling the academic community ignorant toward non-Western thinkers may seem extreme’

For third-year PPS-student Francesca Starinschi from Moldova, however, this change in the programme is not coming fast enough. ‘Calling the academic community ignorant towards non-Western thinkers and traditions may seem extreme, but I think constructing the curriculum exclusively based on Western thinkers demonstrates that there is an academic blindness towards anything but Western thinkers.’

Several previously conducted PPS courses already show diversity, including Thinking Across Continents, Middle East and North Africa, Identity and Exclusion, Religious Contacts and Conflicts, and Edges of Europe. But, according to Starinschi, who enrolled in multiple of these courses, it seems that they provided just a fraction of the expanded intercultural horizon and only motivated students to want and demand more of this diverse vastness.

Supporter of addition

‘Whether or not we have appropriate diversity in our programme will always be a point of discussion’, says Kleinherenbrink. ‘I personally tend to be a supporter of addition rather than replacement.’ But goodwill and right intentions, as he knows, are often not enough to transform a curriculum. ‘If there is an idea to include a new subject, many important questions arise instantly. Of course, that does not mean we should not aspire to answer them, it just means we must approach them carefully.’ He points out important segments of this process, such as time, money, and academic expertise that must be invested in creating something new.

Starinschi believes that the advantages of a diversification of curriculums outweigh the practical obstacles (such as financial demands or a search for new lecturers) that would arise on the way. She believes it is worth facing these obstacles to reach the final goal.

‘Including non-Western perspectives ensures that students have the knowledge to address global challenges’

According to Worrajitchutiwat and Starinschi, a curriculum’s diversification has undeniable benefits. ‘New information and perspectives might provide the solution for what Westerners have been stuck upon’, says Worrajitchutiwat. Starinschi is confident that building an academic curriculum that incorporates non-Western content may help enhance learning and research. ‘Including non-Western perspectives ensures that students have the knowledge and competencies to address the global challenges our society faces today, and that is a benefit worth working for.’

What decisions about curricular diversification ultimately boil down to, says Kleinherenbrink, are questions about the faculty’s identity. ‘What is it that, a few decades from now, we want to be known for in terms of our decisions in what we wanted to teach?’