Political Theory Project

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Political Theory Project

Alexander_Gourevitch@brown.edu

Alex Gourevitch's (Ph.D., Political Science, Columbia, 2010) main interests lie in contemporary political philosophy and the history of modern economic and political thought. His current research focuses on competing conceptions of freedom, and their implications for the organization of the economy. Gourevitch's dissertation, Servitude and Independence: Rethinking Liberty, Virtue and the Republican Tradition, examines the way certain 19th century thinkers, especially in the American labor movement, attempted to overcome this "paradox of slavery and freedom" by thinking of independence as a condition of free labor. These labor republicans believed full independence could only be achieved through the cooperative organization of work. The dissertation develops some implications for these 19th century ideas for contemporary theories of freedom and economic organization.

Alongside his research in political philosophy, Gourevitch has also co-edited a book titled Politics Without Sovereignty: A Critique of Contemporary International Relations. The book is a critique of the critics of sovereignty, on the grounds that they fail to identify forms of international organization that would be more transprent in its relations of power, and more responsive to popular control, than the sovereign state system. Gourevitch is also an editor of the blog The Current Moment, which can be found at www.thecurrentmoment.wordpress.com.