January 15th, 2026

On Wednesday, January 14th class was cancelled due to my professor being sick but she was back for today to teach our first proper seminar of the semester. I did not speak today when I really should’ve as I had all the right answers but was too scared to speak because god forbid I am incorrect about anything. I am aware that it is better to speak even when wrong than to never speak at all. I will do better next time.

The discussion for today was an introduction to migration, specifically about religious migration although the readings mostly focused on Protestants. There was some mention of Jews and Muslims, but barely.

Slavery in certain periods was different than the trans Atlantic slave trade. The one on the Mediterranean, slaves were mostly like hostages s they were held for ransom. They could leave slavery through converting religions. I know in some cultures where slavery was practiced, you’d be a slave for a while and then naturally become a citizen. It’s different from what would become chattel slavery. There was less racialization (is that a word?).

My professor brought up impressment, which relates to migration for war. Soldiers were forcefully conscripted and sent abroad for war purposes like shooting peasants in Spain. Maybe my research paper will be about this or chronicle the migration journeys of Marx through Europe.

My last seminar there was a ten minute break given, but for this one she gives us a 30 minute break for lunch. Which is nice considering some people need to go and wait in line for food/coffee. Next time I have to remember to bring myself lunch.

After the break we talked about the term “cosmopolitan.” It is a person that transcends polities. It is a word that can, culturally, be positive and negative. The negative version of the word describes someone that is not a nationalists and thus not loyal which is bad for regional politics. I wonder if you could make a connection to the throwing around of the word “globalist.” Most enlightenment thinkers were cosmopolitans, except Rousseau who was not like other girls.

Next she brought up a slide of Kant’s Essay on Perpetual Peace (1795). He believed that the foreigner has the right to not be treated with hostility when visiting the land of another—right to hospitality. He also specified that the foreigner was to stay a limited time, not for long term. It is a right to visit, not the right to be a guest (during this time guest meant to be permanent). Kant even critiques European colonialism as they are overstaying their welcome, Indigenous hospitality has been abused. Even when a foreigner displays bad behaviour, they should not be ent back if they will be in danger.

We ended the class by learning about the difference between Refoulement and Asylum. Refoulement is French for “to push back,” it is a negative obligation on states. The state asks people to return to where they came from but cannot force them back into danger. Asylum is a positive obligation where they must offer long-term protection to those seeking asylum. This led to a short discussion about the shifting in narrative regarding the migrant to refugee crisis. In the 18th century people were more accepting of non-military migrants (women and children), but when military age men would come in that changed the debate.

We see the same thing now regarding young Ukrainian male refugees being asks to go back. British tyranny controlling the migration of people was one of the grievances that Americans had that led to the War of Independence (that plus slavery). Americans back then wanted migrants to come in (i am assuming it was to increase the settler population) but now the opposite is being stated by Americans, they do not want immigrants (except maybe the white ones).

Anyway, thats it. Class is over. I should’ve have spoken regarding the religion discussion as I knew the answers as to why the whole “Jews control the banks” stereotype and why Protestants are more individualist and capitalistic. I knew the answers but was too scared to say, so someone else did and I was so pissed at myself.