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48Thoughtlessness and resentment: Determinism and moral responsibility in the case of Adolf EichmannPhilosophy and Social Criticism 40 (2): 127-144. 2014.Is a devoted Nazi or a zombie bureaucrat a greater moral and political problem? Because the dangers of immoral fanaticism are so clear, the dangers of mindless bureaucracy are easy to overlook. Yet zombie bureaucrats have contributed substantially to the greatest catastrophes of the 20th century, doing so seemingly oblivious to the monstrous qualities of their actions. Hannah Arendt’s work on thoughtlessness raises a dilemma: if Eichmann, the architect of the Nazi Final Solution, truly was a tho…Read more
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14Liberalism, legal revolution and Carl SchmittPhilosophy and Social Criticism 47 (2): 163-167. 2021.This article reflects on William E Scheuerman’s The End of Law and the value of the liberal rule of law. It puts Scheuerman’s concerns about Schmitt’s attacks on the liberal rule of law in dialogue with Schmitt’s theory of ‘legal revolution’. It argues that, although Schmitt was neither a liberal nor a democrat, his work on legal revolution can help liberals respond to populist attacks on liberal constitutional essentials.
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14Constraining political extremism and legal revolutionPhilosophy and Social Criticism 46 (3): 249-273. 2020.Recently, extremist ‘populist’ parties have succeeded in obtaining large enough democratic electoral mandates both to legally make substantive changes to the law and constitution and to legally eliminate avenues to challenge their control over the government. Extremists place committed liberal democrats in an awkward position as they work to legally revolutionize their constitutions and turn them into ‘illiberal democracies’. This article analyses political responses to this problem. It argues t…Read more
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7Conceptualizing Politics: An Introduction to Political Philosophy (review)Philosophy and Social Criticism 45 (8): 948-952. 2017.
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5Book Review: Conceptualizing Politics: An Introduction to Political Philosophy (review)Philosophy and Social Criticism 45 (8): 948-952. 2019.Philosophy & Social Criticism, Ahead of Print.
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13Constraining political extremism and legal revolutionPhilosophy and Social Criticism 46 (3): 249-273. 2020.Recently, extremist ‘populist’ parties have succeeded in obtaining large enough democratic electoral mandates both to legally make substantive changes to the law and constitution and to legally eliminate avenues to challenge their control over the government. Extremists place committed liberal democrats in an awkward position as they work to legally revolutionize their constitutions and turn them into ‘illiberal democracies’. This article analyses political responses to this problem. It argues t…Read more
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Columbia UniversityGraduate student
New York City, New York, United States of America