Lately, an article about separating the political sector has made quite a stir. While I have nothing against the author, I do find the argument of the article ultimately short-sighted and anti-intellectual.
The article decries the repetition of monotonous political tirades while simultaneously regurgitating a tired argument that has plagued the internet for at least the past decade. There seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding of politics underpinning the article’s logic.
Politics is innately in every sector of life via the fact that we live under a state. Things such as the funding that universities receive, the education curriculum in K-12 schooling, and the tax dollars funneled towards overseas wars and genocides are all influenced by politics. Every action we take is so deeply entrenched and informed by politics. It would be futile not to talk about the relationship between politics and every other aspect of life. The very opinion that politics should not be in the classroom is incredibly political.
It’s also somewhat unfair to ask people not to let the current political environment influence their thinking. Trump gutting the Department of Education, the slew of attacks on transgender people, the Trump Administration disappearing a Palestinian activist with a green card, or the same administration sharing war plans with a journalist by accident are just a few examples of the ludicrous things happening currently in the world of politics. Each being as asinine as it is, of course these things will serve as a ready example for things that happen in works of literature. A part of engaging with a text is seeing how it responded to the political environment of its time and how the issues the work was concerned with still appear today (all too often there is little to no improvement).
To name-drop a work such as Frankenstein, a book written by a bisexual woman in the early 19th century that was published anonymously because women were not allowed to publish books at the time is ironic. Moreover, if politics, both of the times and those of history, cannot be discussed in higher education, the theoretical pinnacle of education, then where can they be discussed? Literature is influenced by the politics of its time (whether intentional or not) because it is a part of the author’s positionality.
Overall, the most frustrating part of this argument that politics are this thing that should just be bottled up and kept entirely separate from the domain of education is that you are intrinsically deeming what is acceptable to discuss when you do this. This very mindset that education is above politics led us to this political moment. Furthermore, a lack of education regarding politics and its influences has led people to not understand tariffs or to generally take a politician at their word, an epidemic we must fight off if we want a better tomorrow.
