Lessons in Leadership and Compassion Through the Eyes of Sophocles

As a major component of Stonehill College’s mission, faculty and staff dedicate themselves to helping students realize how they can shape a more just and compassionate future. One way Professor of Philosophy Edward McGushin has accomplished this goal is by looking to the past.

Through the Stonehill Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program, McGushin recently partnered with James Dewar ’25 and Kelly McClymer ’25 to investigate 20th-century French philosopher Michel Foucault’s writings on Greek tragedy, as well as how his ideas contribute to our understanding of the genre’s philosophical significance. Focus was placed on Foucault’s interpretation of Oedipus Tyrannus (Oedipus Rex), written by the tragedian Sophocles.

“That work is about a leader and his unraveling,” McGushin says. “The play is a meditation on power and justice. I also think there’s a lot in there about the place of love in a world that is often harsh and unforgiving.”

In addition to learning about compassion, the students also gained practical skills as they investigated various texts on Greek tragedy in the hopes of creating a cohesive narrative that ties together different interpretations of the artistic form. 

“Through this research, we explored how thinkers throughout time reacted to the same stories, and how they did so in relation to various cultural movements,” says Dewar, a philosophy and history double major with a political science minor who hails from Grafton, Massachusetts. “This work has enabled me to become a better reader. I’ve really engaged with the texts I’ve found in databases like JSTOR and WorldCat. I’m not just reading them in a superficial way.”

Dewar’s time in SURE has also helped him draw conclusions about the different ways society has viewed art and creativity across millennia.

“Tragedy meant a great deal to the ancient Greeks,” he notes. “It’s not comparable to modern fiction or art in the sense that it was a lived experience for them. As opposed to reading a book or watching something on Netflix, going to a tragic show was something that happened to them and allowed them to feel characters’ pain in a visceral way.”

Findings such as this were featured in a presentation that McGushin gave alongside his students at a meeting of the Society for Philosophy in the Contemporary World, which was held at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in July.

“Being in that environment allowed me to see the importance of discussing things with others who might have different viewpoints than mine,” Dewar says. “Doing so can help you better understand your own ideas.”

For McClymer, a political science and philosophy double major from Wilmington, Massachusetts, conducting research and attending the conference helped her realize how vast the study of philosophy can be.

“I’ve learned that the philosophical questions that interest me go far beyond myself,” she says. “Every lesson I’ve learned has added another layer of complexity to my understanding of my studies. As both a student and a person, I’ve gained a greater appreciation for what I don’t know. I’ve learned that there is always so much more to learn and to always keep my mind open.” 

McClymer is grateful for the opportunity to achieve this intellectual growth under the tutelage of her faculty mentor.

“Working with Professor McGushin was inspiring for me,” she says. “He always encouraged me to pursue my interests and ideas. I felt like I received great guidance and that I’m walking away with more experience, knowledge and enthusiasm to study philosophy.”

McGushin also appreciated his collaboration with McClymer and Dewar. 

“I love witnessing what our students can achieve in a research setting,” the faculty member says. “It’s one thing to have a student in class, where they’re learning what’s already known and following assignment prompts. But with SURE, you turn them loose with a question and a set of research methods and allow them to discover new things on their own. I’m always so impressed with how my students handle that.”