Teaching political theory: a Rancièrian practice

Guided by Jacques Ranci & egrave;re's principle of the 'equality of all intelligence', this study investigates a nine-year experimental teaching practice within an advanced political theory course. It contends that, beyond the overt professor-student hierarchy, a subtler asymmetry exists between students and the authoritative status of canonical texts. To address both dynamics, the course eschewed conventional lectures in favor of a tripartite structure: students formulated critical questions on weekly readings, composed anonymous essay responses to peers' queries, and evaluated submissions using a standardized rubric. This method sought to reframe philosophical texts as dialogic interlocutors rather than inaccessible authorities, while fostering student agency and intellectual autonomy. Drawing on data from nine focus groups with 55 former participants, the analysis underscores the transformative capacity of Ranci & egrave;rian pedagogy to challenge entrenched hierarchies in academic settings. In doing so, it offers an empirically grounded contribution to critical pedagogy scholarship, engaging with Ranci & egrave;re's educational philosophy.