- Fellow type
- UK Fellow
- Year elected
- 2018
Richard Bourke’s work focuses on the history of political thought, particularly on the political ideas of the enlightenment, but he also has interests in ancient philosophy, and in political theory in the 19th and 20th centuries. He has written, in addition, on Irish history, above all on the Troubles. He has also published on various issues in contemporary political thought, ranging from nationalism and conservatism to political judgment and popular sovereignty. He has worked on the philosophy of history since Kant, and on the history of democracy.
Current post
University of Cambridge Professor of the History of Political Thought
King's College, Cambridge Fellow
Past appointments
Friedrich-Meinecke-Institut, Freie Universität Berlin Visiting Fellow
2018 -
Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin Fellow
2014 - 2015
Queen Mary University of London Professor in the History of Political Thought
2012 - 2018
Queen Mary University of London Reader
2010 - 2012
Historicum, Ludwig Maximilians Universität München Visiting Fellow
2006 - 2007
Queen Mary University of London Senior Lecturer
2005 - 2010
Queen Mary University of London Lecturer
2004 - 2005
Queen Mary University of London Lecturer
1993 - 1994
University College Dublin Lecturer
1990 - 1993
Top picks
Burke was no conservative
Article
Richard Bourke explains how Edmund Burke’s support for the American Revolution, and opposition to the French, have been misunderstood.
The concept of sovereignty
Video
Richard Bourke on political community, history of political philosophy, and the modern struggle over the location of sovereignty.
