Political Theory at Nuffield
Nuffield College is a primary centre of political theory at Oxford, and has a long-standing reputation as one of the most vibrant places for the study of political theory internationally.
The Nuffield Workshop in Political Theory has run since 1983 and has established itself as a rigorous forum for discussion of cutting-edge work in the discipline, focusing on the broadly analytical tradition. Schedules for the current term, as well as several recent terms, can be found below.
In addition to the weekly workshop, the Political Theory Group at Nuffield also hosts and organises a number of conferences and seminars throughout the year, in close association with the Department of Political Science and International Relations (DPIR) and the Oxford Political Theory Network (OPTN). This includes the Interdisciplinary Seminars on Empire (ISE) and the annual Oxford Graduate Conference in Political Theory, as well as two biweekly works-in-progress seminars: the Oxford Works in Progress Political Theory Seminar (OWIPT), for doctoral students, and the Centre for the Study of Social Justice (CSSJ), for faculty and postdoctoral fellows.
The Nuffield Political Theory Workshop normally takes place every Tuesday of term. Featuring a mix of internal and external guests, workshop participants read the paper and prepare questions in advance of the one-and-a-half-hour-long session. It is open to all graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty, and visiting scholars with an Oxford affiliation, but members are generally expected to attend and participate regularly and may be asked to register in advance.
The current workshop programme can be viewed here: Hilary 2024. For more information, or to register for the workshop, please contact the organisers for 2024: Elsa Kugelberg and Maximilian Klinger.
Previous workshop programmes can be viewed here: Michaelmas 2023, Trinity 2023, Hilary 2023, Michaelmas 2022, Trinity 2022, Hilary 2022, Michaelmas 2021, Trinity 2021, Hilary 2021, Michaelmas 2020, Hilary 2020, Michaelmas 2019, Trinity 2019, Hilary 2019, Michaelmas 2018, Trinity 2018, Hilary 2018, Michaelmas 2017
- 29 November 2022: Book Manuscript Workshop on Jamie Draper, Climate Displacement
- 16-17 June 2022: 'What is Democracy? Theories, Practices, Values' (programme)
- 13-14 June 2022: 'Discrimination By/Against Religion: International and Theoretical Perspectives' (programme)
- 10 May 2022: Book Manuscript Workshop on Shuk Ying Chan, Postcolonial Global Justice
- 18-19 January 2022: The Political Philosophy of Internal Displacement (programme)
- 19 May 2021: 'Why Private Property?' (webpage)
- 18 February 2021: 'The Politics of Egalitarianism' (webpage, video)
- 15 February 2021: 'Sortition and Politics: History, Sociology, Philosophy' (programme)
- 1 December 2020: Book Workshop on Daniel Statman and Yitzhak Benbaji's War By Agreement: A Contractarian Ethics of War (programme)
- 12 March 2020: Roundtable on John Keane's The New Despotism
- 11-12 February 2020: 'New Political Imaginaries and Models in the 21st Century: A Transnational Analysis' (programme)
- 10 June 2019: 'Debating Basic Income' (webpage)
- 5 March 2019: 'Themes from the Political Philosophy of Gerald Gaus' (programme)
- 31 May-1 June 2018: Book Conference on Cécile Laborde's Liberalism’s Religion (webpage)
- 14-16 July 2016: Workshop on 'Justice and Risk' (webpage)
- 13 June 2016: Book launch of David Miller’s Strangers in our Midst (webpage)
- 5 June 2015: Symposium on Allen Buchanan’s The Heart of Human Rights (programme)
Associate Members and Alumni
These current Associate members regularly participate in the work of the Political Theory group at Nuffield College:
- Rufaida Al Hashmi: Lecturer in Political Theory, University of Reading
- Ẹniọlá Ànúolúwapọ́ Ṣóyẹmí: Departmental Lecturer in Political Philosophy and Public Policy, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford
- Cécile Fabre (PPRF 1998-2002): Professor of Political Philosophy and Senior Research Fellow, All Souls College, University of Oxford
- Jonathan Wolff: Alfred Landecker Professor of Values and Public Policy, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford
- Maxime Lepoutre (PPRF 2018-2020): Lecturer in Political Theory, University of Reading
- Yves Sintomer (Visitor 2020-2022): Professor of Political Science, Paris 8 University
- Rogers Smith (Visitor 2021): Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Political Science, University of Pennsylvania
The following people recently held the post of Postdoctoral Prize Research Fellow at Nuffield:
- Shuk Ying Chan (PPRF 2021-2023): Lecturer in Political Theory, University College London
- Samuel Bagg (PPRF 2019-2022): Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of South Carolina
- Anthony Taylor (2017-2022): Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Philosophy, Université de Fribourg
- Maxime Lepoutre (PPRF 2018-2020): Lecturer in Political Theory, University of Reading
- Jess Begon (PPRF 2015-2018): Assistant Professor of Political Theory, University of Durham
- Alice Baderin (PPRF 2013-2018): Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, University of Reading
- Jesse Tomalty (PPRF 2012-2015): Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Bergen
- Jeffrey Lenowitz (PPRF 2012-2013): Assistant Professor of Politics, Brandeis University
- Lea Ypi (PPRF 2008-2011): Professor in Political Theory, London School of Economics and Political Science
The following people recently completed their DPhil or MPhil at Nuffield:
- Ruairí Maguire (DPhil 2022): Lecturer in Political Philosophy Education, King's College London
- Ian Carroll (DPhil 2019): College Lecturer at Brasenose College, University of Oxford
- Pietro Intropi (DPhil 2019): Research Fellow in Philosophy at Trinity College Dublin
- Annette Zimmerman (DPhil 2018): Assistant Professor of Philosophy, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Katy Wells (DPhil 2016): Associate Professor in Political Theory, University of Warwick
- Christine Hobden (DPhil 2015): Senior Lecturer in Ethics and Public Governance, Wits School of Governance
