My research can be broken down into three main areas: the rule of law, methods of political theory, and topics of intellectual history. Below, you can find a brief outline of my main research projects, divided by category. I always welcome input on any of these topics, so if you work on similar areas or would simply like to talk about them, I would be delighted to discuss any of the below with you. I'm also happy to circulate draft papers and/or detailed outlines for my more advanced projects upon request.
My dissertation work focuses primarily on the rule of law. Lawyers, politicians and laypeople often refer to this idea across a wide range of contexts, but its nature and its value are never entirely clear. My project attempts to offer new perspectives on this influential ideal. As part of that, I explore three important sub-strands of investigation:
1: The Concept and Conceptions of the Rule of law
What even is the rule of law? To some, this question is unanswerable - the rule of law, they argue, is by its nature undefinable. This draft paper argues against such sceptics and suggests that we can indeed reach an adequate conceptualisation of this important ideal.
2: Towards a New Conception of Arbitrary Power
Many suggest that the rule of law bears some important connection to the idea of 'arbitrary power', a hotly contested notion with a variety of different possible understandings. This draft paper puts forward a novel conception of this idea which it defends against alternative perspectives.
3: The Rule of Law for Radicals
The rule of law is heavily associated with liberal political theory. But need this be the case? I argue that this is not necessarily so, which in turn motivates a re-thinking of what role the rule of law might play in the theoretical and political project of radical constitutionalism.
What is political theory? How can we best go about theorising? What's the point of all this effort anyway? Unlike some, I find these methodological questions fascinating. My own methodological impulse is ecumenical, and in my work in this area I look for ways of bringing different schools of thought into productive dialogue.
1: Meaning and Translation in the History of Ideas
How can we make use of ideas and concepts from the past? For hardcore historical contextualists, this is impossible, and for those committed to pure rational reconstruction, it is unnecessary. This draft paper attempts to forge a middle way between these two extremes.
2: Correcting Realism's Wrong Turn
Political realism is often (though not uncontroversially) traced back to a certain 'meta-normative distinctiveness' thesis, which has not held up well to philosophical scrutiny. In this draft paper I argue that we can escape this difficulty by reformulating theoretical realism as a form of methodological pessimism.
If political theory is truly about seeing (theorein) the political realm in different ways, then the ways in which the figures of the past have conceptualised and interpreted political phenomena are a vital resource with which we can come to see our own political predicaments differently.
1: REDACTED FOR PEER REVIEW
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In his De l'esprit des lois, Montesquieu explicitly warns the reader against assessing his work based on a few sentences alone. Nonetheless, many interpreters continue to focus almost entirely on Book 11, to the detriment of the rest of the work - especially the very significant Book 12. This draft aims to correct this oversight by promoting a more balanced interpretation of Montesquieu's seminal work.