Political Theory Research Group
Description
The Political Theory Research Group supports individual and collaborative research projects in key areas of contemporary political theory. Our academic staff and postgraduates engage with colleagues across the University who share interests in political, legal, moral and social theory. In 2020, the group's members founded the Centre for Ethics and Critical Thought (CRITIQUE) - whose schedule of events integrates the research groups' main activities.
We nurture a culture of collegiality and support for research at the highest international standards. This is reflected in our members' having won research grants from ESRC, Leverhulme Trust, the European Commission and the British Academy; our postgrads' securing scholarships from these and other bodies, including ESRC and AHRC; our editorial work for key journals in the discipline - such as Contemporary Political Theory, Res Publica and Moral Theory and Practice - and our rich academic production, published by prestigious university presses (Oxford, Cambridge, Columbia, and Stanford) and the top journals in Politics and IR.
Key Research Themes
- International political theory
- Environmental political theory
- Critical theory
- Human rights
- Ethics of migration
- Children's rights
- Political violence
- Social epistemology
- Arts and politics
- Political memory
Research Group Convenor(s)
- Mathias Thaler (semester 1, 22/23)
- Tom O'Shea (semester 2, 2/23)
Research Group Activities
The Political Theory Research groups runs a weekly seminar series where staff, post-doctoral fellows, research students and invited speakers present work-in-progress in a supportive and collegial environment. The members of the research group are also integrated in the activities organised by CRITIQUE: author-meets-critics sessions, public lectures, writing retreats, reading groups, critical exchanges and professional development workshops.
Research-led Teaching
Please find below a list of courses that our representative of the Political Theory Research Group's work:
- Political Thinkers, PLIT08011 (UG)
- Global Justice and Citizenship, PLIT10054 (UG)
- Democracy and its Discontents, PLIT10096 (UG)
- Critical theory and Cinema, PLIT10108 (UG)
- War and Justice (UG)
- Political Theory and International Affairs, PGSP11111 (PG)
- Contemporary Political Theory: Engaging with Current Research, PGSP11448 (PG)
- War and Morality, (PG)
- Climate Change, Justice and Responsibility (PG)