Last month, the Tattler Editorial Board argued that political theory should be taught more at IHS. The school hasn’t implemented the suggestions put forth, and likely never will, but for those who need a political theory fix, there is an available way to learn more. Political theory is an outlet for thinking about how governments work, how they can work, and how they should work. Since the advent of writing, there have been treatises on political theory, from Plato’s Republic to Sieyes’ What is the Third Estate?, but the latter marks something of a turning point in the history of political theory, after which a tradition of leftism was born. This movement encompasses anarchism, communism, socialism, and more, all ideologies started in the 19th century or later. It is this series of developments that IHS’s newest club attempts to tackle.
Officially, this club is named Political Theory of the Global Left, but this name is quite unwieldy, so it is shortened to PTOGL by most members (pronounced like “toggle”). Created in December 2017, PTOGL has seen the discussion of dozens of texts, from writers like Emma Goldman, Noam Chomsky, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, and, of course, Karl Marx. While most high schoolers may not be well-equipped to critically read and critique such authors, the members of the club have done an admirable job, managing to not accept anything at face value. When reading such ideologically powerful pieces, this critical eye is of the utmost importance, and most members have mastered the art.
Creator Mira Driskell ’19 says she doesn’t have a preference when it comes to club size, but as it stands, the insular group is conducive to productive conversations as there is no shortage of disagreements. Although members generally agree on political issues, all being leftists of some stripe (anarchists and socialists mostly), a surprising amount of debate arises from the text discussed each week. As if that weren’t enough, Driskell welcomes conservative viewpoints if anyone wishes to come voice them. While leftist spaces are frequently accused of silencing dissent and ignoring differing viewpoints, PTOGL does not suffer from this sort of problem at all, Driskell emphasizes. The club aims to represent the opposite of an echo chamber and has succeeded thus far.
As with any source-based club, one of PTOGL’s biggest issues is finding quality sources. Driskell has thus far prevented staleness of texts chosen by encouraging all members to suggest texts. As a result, the club’s focus has shifted from communism to anarchism, with spotlights on both early anarchist thought from the 19th century and more modern thought from thinkers like Murray Bookchin and Noam Chomsky. So far, not much discussion of current events has occurred, but that could easily change as ideas and sources become scarce.
While many of IHS’s clubs take much of their membership from students looking to beef up their college applications, this is not the case for PTOGL. Each member is invested in the club, and joined because of genuine interest rather than external motivators. If you are looking for a relaxed space to discuss big ideas and be exposed to new perspectives, PTOGL could just be the club for you.