RESEARCH AREAS
Below, I outline the main questions that drive my scholarly research, along with relevant publications.
Ingredients of a free and pro-flourishing civil order
OVERVIEW:
Perhaps the most fundamental question of political philosophy is, under which conditions can the customs, norms and institutions that frame citizens' common life underpin a free and flourishing way of life for all? This raises a number of tricky problems, including the following:
In a society marked by high levels of complexity, social fragmentation, and deep moral and religious difference, how can governments promote peace and public order without being perceived to protect the interests of one group over others?
How can civil governments be empowered to govern society effectively and protect citizens' basic rights without overwhelming the reasonable governmental prerogatives of non-State associations?
If personal and communal flourishing are vitally important ends of a civil order, then how can civil governments play a responsible role in promoting these ends without undermining the freedom of citizens and groups to pursue their own distinctive visions of human flourishing in a way that is informed by local knowledge and experience?
RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS:
The Polycentric Republic: A Theory of Civil Order for Free and Diverse Societies (Routledge, 2025)
Citizenship and the Pursuit of the Worthy Life (Cambridge University Press, 2014)
Polycentric Governance and the Good Society: A Normative and Philosophical Investigation. Co-edited with Pablo Paniagua (Lexington Books, 2024)
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Normative theories of territorial & non-territorial federalism
OVERVIEW:
Perhaps the most fundamental question of political philosophy is, under which conditions can the customs, norms and institutions that frame citizens' common life underpin a free and flourishing way of life for all? This raises a number of tricky problems, including the following:
In a society marked by high levels of complexity, social fragmentation, and deep moral and religious difference, how can governments promote peace and public order without being perceived to protect the interests of one group over others?
How can civil governments be empowered to govern society effectively and protect citizens' basic rights without overwhelming the reasonable governmental prerogatives of non-State associations?
If personal and communal flourishing are vitally important ends of a civil order, then how can civil governments play a responsible role in promoting these ends without undermining the freedom of citizens and groups to pursue their own distinctive visions of human flourishing in a way that is informed by local knowledge and experience?
RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS:
The Polycentric Republic: A Theory of Civil Order for Free and Diverse Societies (Routledge, 2025)
Citizenship and the Pursuit of the Worthy Life (Cambridge University Press, 2014)
Polycentric Governance and the Good Society: A Normative and Philosophical Investigation. Co-edited with Pablo Paniagua (Lexington Books, 2024)
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Theory and practice of popular sovereignty
OVERVIEW:
Perhaps the most fundamental question of political philosophy is, under which conditions can the customs, norms and institutions that frame citizens' common life underpin a free and flourishing way of life for all? This raises a number of tricky problems, including the following:
In a society marked by high levels of complexity, social fragmentation, and deep moral and religious difference, how can governments promote peace and public order without being perceived to protect the interests of one group over others?
How can civil governments be empowered to govern society effectively and protect citizens' basic rights without overwhelming the reasonable governmental prerogatives of non-State associations?
If personal and communal flourishing are vitally important ends of a civil order, then how can civil governments play a responsible role in promoting these ends without undermining the freedom of citizens and groups to pursue their own distinctive visions of human flourishing in a way that is informed by local knowledge and experience?
RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS:
The Polycentric Republic: A Theory of Civil Order for Free and Diverse Societies (Routledge, 2025)
Citizenship and the Pursuit of the Worthy Life (Cambridge University Press, 2014)
Polycentric Governance and the Good Society: A Normative and Philosophical Investigation. Co-edited with Pablo Paniagua (Lexington Books, 2024)
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Personal and corporate freedom and their institutional supports
OVERVIEW:
Perhaps the most fundamental question of political philosophy is, under which conditions can the customs, norms and institutions that frame citizens' common life underpin a free and flourishing way of life for all? This raises a number of tricky problems, including the following:
In a society marked by high levels of complexity, social fragmentation, and deep moral and religious difference, how can governments promote peace and public order without being perceived to protect the interests of one group over others?
How can civil governments be empowered to govern society effectively and protect citizens' basic rights without overwhelming the reasonable governmental prerogatives of non-State associations?
If personal and communal flourishing are vitally important ends of a civil order, then how can civil governments play a responsible role in promoting these ends without undermining the freedom of citizens and groups to pursue their own distinctive visions of human flourishing in a way that is informed by local knowledge and experience?
RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS:
The Polycentric Republic: A Theory of Civil Order for Free and Diverse Societies (Routledge, 2025)
Citizenship and the Pursuit of the Worthy Life (Cambridge University Press, 2014)
Polycentric Governance and the Good Society: A Normative and Philosophical Investigation. Co-edited with Pablo Paniagua (Lexington Books, 2024)
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Polycentric and pluralist models of governance & social organisation
OVERVIEW:
Perhaps the most fundamental question of political philosophy is, under which conditions can the customs, norms and institutions that frame citizens' common life underpin a free and flourishing way of life for all? This raises a number of tricky problems, including the following:
In a society marked by high levels of complexity, social fragmentation, and deep moral and religious difference, how can governments promote peace and public order without being perceived to protect the interests of one group over others?
How can civil governments be empowered to govern society effectively and protect citizens' basic rights without overwhelming the reasonable governmental prerogatives of non-State associations?
If personal and communal flourishing are vitally important ends of a civil order, then how can civil governments play a responsible role in promoting these ends without undermining the freedom of citizens and groups to pursue their own distinctive visions of human flourishing in a way that is informed by local knowledge and experience?
RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS:
The Polycentric Republic: A Theory of Civil Order for Free and Diverse Societies (Routledge, 2025)
Citizenship and the Pursuit of the Worthy Life (Cambridge University Press, 2014)
Polycentric Governance and the Good Society: A Normative and Philosophical Investigation. Co-edited with Pablo Paniagua (Lexington Books, 2024)
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The ethics of citizenship and civic engagement
OVERVIEW:
Perhaps the most fundamental question of political philosophy is, under which conditions can the customs, norms and institutions that frame citizens' common life underpin a free and flourishing way of life for all? This raises a number of tricky problems, including the following:
In a society marked by high levels of complexity, social fragmentation, and deep moral and religious difference, how can governments promote peace and public order without being perceived to protect the interests of one group over others?
How can civil governments be empowered to govern society effectively and protect citizens' basic rights without overwhelming the reasonable governmental prerogatives of non-State associations?
If personal and communal flourishing are vitally important ends of a civil order, then how can civil governments play a responsible role in promoting these ends without undermining the freedom of citizens and groups to pursue their own distinctive visions of human flourishing in a way that is informed by local knowledge and experience?
RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS:
The Polycentric Republic: A Theory of Civil Order for Free and Diverse Societies (Routledge, 2025)
Citizenship and the Pursuit of the Worthy Life (Cambridge University Press, 2014)
Polycentric Governance and the Good Society: A Normative and Philosophical Investigation. Co-edited with Pablo Paniagua (Lexington Books, 2024)
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Cities as experiments in freedom
OVERVIEW:
Perhaps the most fundamental question of political philosophy is, under which conditions can the customs, norms and institutions that frame citizens' common life underpin a free and flourishing way of life for all? This raises a number of tricky problems, including the following:
In a society marked by high levels of complexity, social fragmentation, and deep moral and religious difference, how can governments promote peace and public order without being perceived to protect the interests of one group over others?
How can civil governments be empowered to govern society effectively and protect citizens' basic rights without overwhelming the reasonable governmental prerogatives of non-State associations?
If personal and communal flourishing are vitally important ends of a civil order, then how can civil governments play a responsible role in promoting these ends without undermining the freedom of citizens and groups to pursue their own distinctive visions of human flourishing in a way that is informed by local knowledge and experience?
RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS:
The Polycentric Republic: A Theory of Civil Order for Free and Diverse Societies (Routledge, 2025)
Citizenship and the Pursuit of the Worthy Life (Cambridge University Press, 2014)
Polycentric Governance and the Good Society: A Normative and Philosophical Investigation. Co-edited with Pablo Paniagua (Lexington Books, 2024)
Scroll down for more…