Kurt Borg

I am a Lecturer in the Department of Public Policy at the University of Malta. I completed a PhD at Staffordshire University, with a thesis that draws on the philosophical works of Michel Foucault and Judith Butler to analyse the ethics and politics of narrating trauma in institutional contexts. I graduated with a BA (Hons) and an MA in Philosophy at the University of Malta, the latter with a dissertation on the relation between Foucault's ideas on power and ethics.

My research interests revolve around the interface between political philosophy, social theory and public ethics. My thinking is inspired by Foucault's and Butler's work, particularly their understanding of discourse, power, critique and resistance. I have a great interest in the history of political thought, in itself and in how this can help us understand and navigate contemporary political issues. Theoretically, I draw especially from continental philosophy, especially with regard to topics such as subjectivity, ideology and resistance. I am greatly interested in how power functions in contemporary societies, both in institutional politics as well as social movements.

In my work I adopt an interdisciplinary outlook that brings philosophy in dialogue with the social sciences. Apart from theoretical work, I am also interested in conceptually-rich studies in politics, especially those with a discourse analysis approach. I have utilised this approach in my work on the ethics and politics of narratives of trauma, illness and disability.

I have published articles and book chapters on various political and ethical aspects of the work of Foucault and Butler, as well as on the politics of trauma, narratives of illness and disability, and the essay.

Between 2020-2023, I was a Lecturer in Philosophy of Education at the UM's Faculty of Education. Prior to that, in 2019-2020, I was a Research Support Officer at the UM's Faculty for Social Wellbeing.