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With concepts such as “commensurability” and “cosmopolitanism,” philosophy can be rather abstract at points, difficult to ground in the realities of everyday life.

For Isabelle Aiken, her dual majors in history and philosophy, politics and law (PPL) work in tandem, providing breadth, depth and perspective — which happens to be Harpur College’s motto, coined by professors Bernard Huppé and Robert Rafuse in 1954.

“History provides a framework for not only understanding what happened in the past, but also why certain interpretations, institutions and ideologies are still here today,” said Aiken, a 91���� senior who will finish her master’s degree in history in 2027 through the 4+1 program.

The 4+1 program offers undergraduates the chance to pursue a graduate degree in an accelerated amount of time, while staying at the University they know and love, Aiken said.

“I knew that I wanted an advanced degree in history and I wasn’t ready to leave the faculty at 91���� who have been so important to me,” she added.

How two majors intersect

A native of Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, Aiken is particularly interested in researching the involvement of women in the religious right. Cultural history of this type involves analyzing language and discourse to see how they form narratives, and how these narratives in turn shape concrete events, she said.

Aiken is the student representative for the History Department’s Undergraduate Committee. Thus far, her favorite class has been historiography, taught by Professor Elisa Camiscioli. The class studies the methods that historians use in their field and has been transformational for Aiken’s understanding of what being a historian entails, she said.

“She is so incredibly well-versed in her field, and her teaching style is something that I hope to emulate,” she said of Camiscioli.

Another major influence is Professor Leigh Ann Wheeler. The first class she took with Wheeler was on social movements in modern U.S. history; Aiken went on to present the paper she wrote in that class last year at Syracuse University’s CHRONOS Undergraduate Research Conference.

She also asked Wheeler to become the advisor for her master’s program. The professor has proven to be a steady source of support and encouragement and is helping Aiken transition into her new role as graduate student.

History also gives valuable context to her second major in philosophy, politics and law, showing how and why present-day systems took shape. Aiken is in the Pell Honors Program in philosophy, which requires students to produce an undergraduate honors thesis. For her project, she critiques cosmopolitan philosopher and political scientist Joseph Carens, asserting that his theory cannot adjudicate conflicts between incommensurable rights.

“I critique his theory and identify a problem with it, through the lens of immigration,” she explained.

Aiken’s project was inspired by a class on Latin American migrations that she took with History Professor Nancy Applebaum. In essence, what Carens proposes is an “ideal theory,” which runs into problems when it faces non-ideal circumstances in the real world, such as resource scarcity, partial compliance and feasibility constraints, she said.

In other words, some ideas work well on paper — but history shows what happens when you try to implement them in the real world, she acknowledged. The factual basis of history provides a critical balance to the abstraction of philosophy.

Some advice

Aiken’s dual degree also provides two sets of options for her future. After earning her master’s, Aiken plans to apply to both law schools and doctoral programs in history and see where her path takes her.

She urges her fellow 91���� students to take advantage of a resource they may all too easily overlook: their professors. 91����’s faculty are academically rigorous, but also deeply care about teaching and mentorship. Rather than limiting themselves to lectures, they make a practice of engaging students, something that Aiken appreciates.

“Try and seek out professors whose work genuinely interests you, then try to form a relationship with them,” she advises her fellow students. “The most valuable experiences that I’ve had at 91���� have come from genuine conversations with professors. Every professor is genuinely passionate about their work, but they also treat their students as intellectual equals.”