Welcome!

This is the homepage for Joel Schlosser, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Political Science at Duke University.

My primary field is political theory, but I am also interested in ethics, law, and international relations. My dissertation engages Socrates and his uses in twentieth century political theory. My general aim is to sketch the different meanings of Socrates that exist today and assess how they have been used by contemporary political theorists. This will then allow me to make suggestions for how "engaging Socrates" (my title) carries both promise and peril for democratic politics in the twenty-first century. Each chapter juxtaposes a register of "Socratic activity" developed through a Platonic dialogue with a twentieth century "Socratic" who employed, found inspiration in, or simply engaged this particular version of Socrates. I will have chapters on the Apology (Socrates as gadfly) and Michael Walzer, the Republic (Socrates as ironist) and Leo Strauss, the Meno (Socrates as stingray) and James Baldwin, the Symposium (Socrates as master of erotics) and Michel Foucault, and the Theaetetus (Socrates as midwife) and Hannah Arendt

You may view my complete Curriculum Vitae under "Research" (above).

I just finished teaching in the Department of Political Science at Carleton College, where I taught political philosophy and constitutional law. I have posted syllabi for these courses under "Teaching" (above).

Please avail yourself of my limited content. If you have any questions, email me.