Alexander Kirshner
Subfield: Political Theory
Alexander Kirshner, Ph.D., Yale University, May 2011, is a postdoctoral fellow at New York University’s Campus in Abu Dhabi.
Alex’s research cuts across democratic theory, comparative politics and constitutional law. His current projects investigate the paradoxical ethical dilemmas raised by antidemocratic opposition to democratic government, as well as the intellectual history and practice of legitimate opposition. In Abu Dhabi, Alex will undertake research in Egypt and Tunisia, examining how the theory he outlines in his dissertation applies in the context of the Arab’s Spring’s political transitions.
His dissertation, which was awarded highest distinction at both the departmental and university levels, is entitled: "A Theory of Militant Democracy: The Ethics of Combating Political Extremism." In it, he provides an original account of the normative challenges raised by extremist opposition to democracy--e.g. how to defend democracy without violating citizens’ rights. He also outlines principles which can guide the ethical defense of constitutional self-government.
These principles are put to work exploring real-world case studies, from Germany, Turkey, India and the United States. A chapter of this project has recently been published and a book manuscript of the work is currently under review for publication.
While finishing up his dissertation, Alex served as a Lecturer in Yale’s Program in Ethics, Politics and Economics, where he taught two seminars on constitutional and democratic theory.
Email: ask6@nyu.edu
Personal Web Page:http:///www.alexanderkirshner.net
