Political Theory

Political theory is a subfield of political science that studies the history of political thought and contemporary political ideas. It uncovers and examines the philosophical principles that structure these ideas while considering the historical and cultural contexts in which they emerge. Political theory explores basic questions about power, justice, freedom, equality, and legitimacy, among other issues, and provides critical frameworks to evaluate alternative perspectives.

Political Theory Faculty Heading link

Professor and Director of Graduate Studies
Stephen G. Engelmann
Professor and Director of Graduate Studies
Professor
Cedric Johnson
Professor
Director of International Studies Program and Associate Professor
Norma Claire Moruzzi
Director of International Studies Program and Associate Professor

Faculty Publications Heading link

  • Engelmann, Stephen G. (2022). Economic Rationality. United Kingdom: Wiley. https://www.wiley.com/en-ie/Economic+Rationality-p-9781509538126
  • Engelmann, Stephen G. (2022). “Ending at the Beginning: Law and Political Theory in ‘Pannomial Fragments,’” in Bentham on Democracy, Courts, and Codification, ed. P. Schofield and X. Zhai. Cambridge, 287-314.
  • Moruzzi, Norma C. (2014) “Through the Looking Glass: Reflexive Cinema and Society in Post-Revolutionary Iran” in Peter Decherney, Blake Atwood, eds., Iranian Cinema in a Global Context: Policy, Politics, and Form. New York: Routledge, 112-142.
  • Moruzzi, Norma C. (2000). Speaking Through the Mask: Hannah Arendt and the Politics of Social Identity. United Kingdom: Cornell University Press. https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501732003/speaking-through-the-mask