Recent Courses
Recent Courses
Independent Study Philosophical Writing
Introduction To Philosophy
Modern Condition I
Modern Condition II
Philosophy Of Race And Multiculturalism
Philosophy Of Sex And Gender
Seminar In The Humanities: The Philosophy Of Race And Multiculturalism
Senior Projects For Majors In Philosophy
Courses Previously Taught
Courses Previously Taught
Eastern Philosophy
Philosophy of Sex and Gender
Global Philosophy
Ethics and Morality
Specialization/Interests
Specialization/Interests
History of Philosophy
Eastern Philosophy
Feminist Philosophy
Critical Race Theory
Teaching Philosophy
Teaching Philosophy
My objective as a teacher is to facilitate close readings of the texts and to develop discussion through critical questions from a variety of disciplines and cultures. I provide short lectures to clarify key terms and concepts while leaving plenty of time for class discussion. It is my experience that brief lectures allow students to locate ideas in the reading that have escaped them and works as a point of departure for class discussion. By incorporating texts by feminist and non-Western authors in most of my courses, I hope to deepen students’ understanding of the philosophical roots of contemporary political debates and broaden their perspective. Many students come to realize that figures in the history of philosophy still hold sway in discussions concerning authority, the good, and race. A Confucian critique of democracy, in contrast, will help to crystallize what Westerners believe is most valuable in this form of government while also giving them access to an alternate worldview with different questions and solutions.
In terms of content, I do not see a strict distinction between my teaching and research. Attending conferences has exposed me to different texts and readings that I have used to update and refresh my syllabi. I see the engagement with students also as an opportunity to explore philosophical bridges. In fact, my efforts to understand why students resisted feminism but embraced Buddhism, despite the similarities I saw in these lines of thinking, was the impetus for a book manuscript.
Books
Books
Sokthan Yeng. (2020) Buddhist Feminism: Tansforming Anger against Patriarchy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Sokthan Yeng (2014). The Biopolitics of Race: State Racism and U.S. Immigration. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books/Rowman & Littlefield.
Chapters
Chapters
Sokthan Yeng (2010). Fanon and the Impossibilites of Love in the Colonial Order. In Elizabeth A. Hoppe and Tracey Nicholls (Eds.). Fanon and The Decolonization of Philosophy. Lexington Books.
Sokthan Yeng (2008). Grameen Bank and Capitalist Challenges. In Patricia Werhane and Mollie Painter-Morland (Eds.). Cutting-edge issues in Business Ethics: Continental Challenges to Theory and Practice. Springer.
Sokthan Yeng. “De-Centering Capitalism within Theravada Buddhism through a Benjaminian Ethics of Merit-Making,” in The Palgrave Walter Benjamin Handbook, edited by Nathan Ross. Palgrave. (forthcoming in 2025)
Articles
Articles
Sokthan Yeng. (2022) “In Response: The Magic of Feminist Sanghas,”
Sokthan Yeng (2022), “Finding the Artistry of the Religious through Kim Iryop’s Cross-Cultural Philosophy,”
Sokthan Yeng (2021), “Offerings of Resistance: A Benjaminian Response to Weber’s Analysis of Theravada Buddhism,” Philosophy East and West, Vo. 71, no. 2, pp. 473-496.
Sokthan Yeng (2019), Gifts and Ghosts: A Derridean Reading of Theravada Communities, Journal of French and Francophone Philosophy 27, no. 1, 24-49.
Sokthan Yeng (2018), Refuge and Refugees in Myanmar: A Theravada Buddhist Response, Soundings: An Interdisciplinary Journal 101, no. 4, 291-321.
Sokthan Yeng (2014), Irigaray's Alternative Practices of the Self. Journal of French and Francophone Philosophy.
Sokthan Yeng (2013), Irigaray's Meditations on the Duality of Sexuality in Buddhist Ethics. Journal of Buddhist Ethics, 20, 203-231.
Sokthan Yeng (2010), Foucault's Critique of the Science of Sexuality: The Function of Science within Bio-power. Journal of French and Francophone Philosophy, 18, 9-26.
Conference Presentations
Conference Presentations
“Buddhist Form and Malabou’s Plasticity,” Comparative and Continental Philosophy Circle, Volcano, Hawaii, June 2024.
“Reimagining Zen Flesh, Zen Bones through Trauma-Informed Pedagogy,” 12th East-West Philosopher’s Conference, University of Hawaii at Manoa, May 2024.
“Reimagining Zen Flesh, Zen Bones: Stories for Philosophy and Practice,” Western Political Science Association, San Francisco, April 2023.
“Offerings of Resistance: A Benjaminian Ethics of Merit-Making in Theravada Buddhism,” Comparative and Continental Philosophy Circle, University of Leiden, Netherlands, May 2019.
“Buddhism in the Presence of Anger,” Comparative and Continental Philosophy Circle, Bath Spa University, April 2018.
“Liberal Feminism and Asian Buddhist Women,” Comparative and Continental Philosophy Circle, National Taiwan University, March 2016.
“Irigarayan Myths or Indian Imaginaries,” Comparative and Continental Philosophy Circle, University of Iceland, May 2015.
“An Alternative to Hegel’s Orientalist Legacy,” Romantic Connections, Tokyo, Japan, June 2014
“Irigarayan Myths,” Long Island Philosophical Society, Molloy College, April 2014.
“Hegel, Asian Identity, and the Middle Path,” International Hegel Congress, Istanbul, Turkey, October 2012
Sokthan Yeng (2012). The Biologizing of Religion:. In North Texas Philosophical Association (pp. 25). University of North Texas, Denton, TX.
Mark Grabowski and Sokthan Yeng (2011). The Ethics of Mugshot Websites. In Digital Ethics Symposium (pp. 20). Loyola University, Chicago, IL.
Sokthan Yeng (2011). Does the Buddhist Face Have a Race? In Comparative and Continental Philosophy Circle (pp. 11). University of Cork, Cork, Ireland.
Sokthan Yeng (2010). Immigrants, Refugees, and Other Deleuzean Nomads. In Association for Psychoanalysis in Culture and Society (pp. 8). Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.
(2010). State Racism and Immigration in America. In Foucault Circle (pp. read by proxy). Morgan State University.
(2010). Model Minority as a Foucauldian Security Mechanism. In Comparative and Continental Philosophy Circle. Tokai University.
(2008). Foucauldian Normalization and Naturalization of Asian-American Immigrants. In Foucault Circle. Earlham College.
(2007). New and Old Racism in Foucault’s Biopower. In Foucault Circle. Loyola Marymount University.
(2006). Foucault’s Critique of the Science of Sexuality. In Society for Phenomenology and Human Sciences Annual Conference. Philadelphia, PA.
Invited Presentations
Invited Presentations
“Enchanting Theravada Buddhism through Walter Benjamin,” 16th International Critical Theory Conference of Rome, John Felice Rome Center of Loyola University of Chicago, May 2024
“Book Symposium: Sarah Mattice, Exploring the Heart Sutra, Respondent: Sokthan Yeng,” American Philosophical Association, Pacific Division, San Francisco, April 2023.
“Author Meets Critic: Sokthan Yeng’s Buddhist Feminism: Transforming Anger against Patriarchy,” Western Political Science Association, March 2022.
“Butler and Benjamin: Intelligence and Precarious Truth,” 12th International Critical Theory Conference of Rome, John Felice Rome Center of Loyola University of Chicago, May 2019.
“Buddhist Feminist Philosophy,” Western Political Science Association, San Diego, CA, April 2019.
“Agamben and Benjamin: From Divine Violence to the State of Exception,” 12th International Critical Theory Conference of Rome, John Felice Rome Center of Loyola University of Chicago, May 2018.
"Buddhism's Foucault: Anonymous Interdependency and the Stoic." Foucault Circle at Eastern Division Meeting of the American Philosophical Association, January 2017, Baltimore, MD.
"Refeuge and Refugees: A Buddhist Repsonse," Invited Panel for Committee on Status of Women, Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy, October 2016, Utah Valley University
“The Angry Buddhist: Koans and Problems,” Philosopher’s Holiday Symposium, Vassar College, November 11, 2015.
Response to Bryan Van Norden’s “Confucianism and Virtue Ethics,” Suffolk County Community College, May 2015.
“Luce Irigaray’s Meditation of Sexual Difference,” Lebanon Valley College, February 2015.
Sokthan Yeng (2012, December). The Biopolitics of Religion: From Cultural Norms to Scientific Truth. Foucault Circle at the American Philosophical Association (East), Atlanta, GA.
Sokthan Yeng (2012, February). Descartes' Meditations and Irigaray's Yoga. Shifting Subjectivities: Descartes in the 21st Century, Romeoville, IL.
Other Work
Other Work
Podcast about Buddhist Feminism: Transforming Anger against Patriarchy, July 2021, https://newbooksnetwork.com/buddhist-feminism
Professional Activities
Professional Activities
I have reviewed articles for the following journals: Philosophy East and West, Journal of French and Francophone Philosophy, and Soundings.
University Service
University Service
I serve on the Committe of Academic Honesty.
I will serve on the Faculty Committee for Retention, Tenure, and Promotion beginning Spring 2018.
I was the co-chair of the First Year Experience Committee between the academic years of 2013-2015.
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