George Eliot: Literature as Experimental Philosophy. This project aims to make significant and innovative contributions to research excellence in philosophy, history of ideas and literary studies. In addition it aims to provide a new conceptual framework and concepts necessary for constructive debate on current moral and social issues, many of which are complex legacies from Victorian thinkers, such as Eliot and her contemporaries. The overarching aim of rendering philosophy more inclusive and r ....George Eliot: Literature as Experimental Philosophy. This project aims to make significant and innovative contributions to research excellence in philosophy, history of ideas and literary studies. In addition it aims to provide a new conceptual framework and concepts necessary for constructive debate on current moral and social issues, many of which are complex legacies from Victorian thinkers, such as Eliot and her contemporaries. The overarching aim of rendering philosophy more inclusive and relevant is vital to the maintenance of a healthy, free and democratic public culture in contemporary Australia. Read moreRead less
Constructivism and Conceptual Mobility in Political Philosophy. This analysis of the theory of political concepts is important in contemporary Australian debates over the meaning of justice, democracy and sovereignty. This project will enhance the increasing self-awareness and theoretical sophistication of Australian public culture. Case studies of justice, democracy and sovereignty will directly engage with issues at the forefront of international debates in political philosophy. They will cont ....Constructivism and Conceptual Mobility in Political Philosophy. This analysis of the theory of political concepts is important in contemporary Australian debates over the meaning of justice, democracy and sovereignty. This project will enhance the increasing self-awareness and theoretical sophistication of Australian public culture. Case studies of justice, democracy and sovereignty will directly engage with issues at the forefront of international debates in political philosophy. They will contribute to the international renown of Australian philosophical research and improve the quality of the local research environment for graduate students in philosophy and political theory.Read moreRead less
Spinoza, Kant and Deleuze on freedom and ethical difference: an immanent approach. Transcendent moral philosophies, such as those in the Kantian tradition, have significant disadvantages when it comes to developing ethical and political tools for multicultural communities such as Australia, as they lack the flexibility to negotiate between moral and religious groupings adhering to competing moral absolutes. In using Deleuze's thought to develop a non-transcendent or immanent approach to ethics, ....Spinoza, Kant and Deleuze on freedom and ethical difference: an immanent approach. Transcendent moral philosophies, such as those in the Kantian tradition, have significant disadvantages when it comes to developing ethical and political tools for multicultural communities such as Australia, as they lack the flexibility to negotiate between moral and religious groupings adhering to competing moral absolutes. In using Deleuze's thought to develop a non-transcendent or immanent approach to ethics, the project seeks to address this problem. It will provide a means of negotiating this plurality of beliefs without recourse to transcendent or universal values, or to any one dominant moral code. This approach aims to have a marked impact on national debate over the philosophical and practical possibilities of such an ethics.Read moreRead less