Eunah Lee, Ph.D., first became interested in philosophy during high school.
She found herself mesmerized while reading Korean-translated excerpts from German-American philosopher Herbert Marcuse in her literature class.
Now, Dr. Lee has the privilege of introducing that same passion for the subject to her students at St. Joseph’s University, New York, in her role as assistant professor of philosophy.
“Philosophy is essential to students, as it promotes the habit of clear and critical thinking, which is crucial to success in any field,” the Seoul, South Korea, native explained.
“More importantly, however, it explores perhaps the ultimate questions about life, death and meaning,” she continued. “Philosophy can lift our gaze from the mundane to the world of ideas that have the ability to shape and transform our everyday lives.”
Conversing With Others in a Deeper Way
What interests Dr. Lee most about the field of philosophy, however, is the ability to converse with others in a deeper way.
“I love when I’m reading and I can anticipate what the author may say on the next page or think to myself, ‘Hey, what about this?’ and then immediately find the author’s answer to the questions I had in my head,” said Dr. Lee, who earned a doctoral degree from Stony Brook University.
“Although rare, I cherish these special moments. It almost feels like you get to know someone deeply across time and space.”
Dr. Lee received a summer faculty research grant from St. Joseph’s University to continue conducting her own research, which focuses on human rights violation.
“This summer research grant will help me focus on a book project that explores philosophical themes that arise in the transnational redress movement regarding sexual slavery in World War II, which is called the comfort women system,” Dr. Lee said. “My goal is to provide a theoretical and normative framework to understand survivors’ silenced and obscured stories, and to critically analyze some contemporary artistic representations of these victims.”
A paper she co-authored, “In the Name of Awareness: Audience, Venue, and the Politics of Witnessing Human Rights Violation,” is scheduled to be published in fall 2025 by Duke University Press in the journal Meridians: Feminism, Race, Transnationalism.
