ril led " ▁by ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁these ▁tutorials , ▁and ▁when ▁asked ▁what ▁she ▁wanted ▁to ▁study ▁in ▁these ▁special ▁sessions , ▁she ▁respond ed ▁with ▁three ▁questions ▁pre occup ying ▁her ▁at ▁the ▁time : ▁" Why ▁was ▁Sp ino za ▁ex communic ated ▁from ▁the ▁syn agog ue ? ▁Could ▁German ▁Ide al ism ▁be ▁held ▁account able ▁for ▁Naz ism ? ▁And ▁how ▁was ▁one ▁to ▁understand ▁exist ential ▁the ology , ▁including ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁Martin ▁B uber ?" ▁ ▁Butler ▁attended ▁Ben ning ton ▁College ▁before ▁transfer ring ▁to ▁Y ale ▁University , ▁where ▁she ▁studied ▁philosophy , ▁receiving ▁her ▁Bach elor ▁of ▁Arts ▁degree ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁and ▁her ▁Doctor ▁of ▁Philosoph y ▁degree ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 . ▁She ▁spent ▁one ▁academic ▁year ▁at ▁Heidel berg ▁University ▁as ▁a ▁Ful br ight ▁Sch olar . ▁She ▁taught ▁at ▁Wes ley an ▁University , ▁George ▁Washington ▁University , ▁and ▁Joh ns ▁Hop kins ▁University ▁before ▁joining ▁University ▁of ▁California , ▁Ber keley , ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 3 . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁she ▁held ▁the ▁Sp ino za ▁Chair ▁of ▁Philosoph y ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Amsterdam . ▁In ▁addition , ▁she ▁joined ▁the ▁department ▁of ▁English ▁and ▁Compar ative ▁Liter ature ▁at ▁Columbia ▁University ▁as ▁W un ▁T sun ▁Tam ▁M ell on ▁Vis iting ▁Professor ▁of ▁the ▁Human ities ▁in ▁the ▁spring ▁sem esters ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁ 2 0 1