| Established | 2003; 21 years ago (2003) |
|---|---|
| Director | John Tomasi |
| Address | 25 George Street |
| Location | Brown University |
| Publications | Brown Political Review |
The Political Theory Project (PTP) was an interdisciplinary research center at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. The center has since transitioned into the university's Center for Philosophy, Politics and Economics.
The center's stated mission was to "investigate the ideas and institutions that make societies free, prosperous, and fair." From its establishment in 2003 until 2021, the Project was directed by founder John Tomasi. According to Tomasi, the PTP focuses "on the interplay of democratic and market-based ideals, with a commitment to examining issues from a variety of ideological perspectives." The Project is officially nonpartisan and maintains that it is not committed "to any particular ideological orientation."
History
At inception, the Political Theory Project originally focused on offering post-doctoral researchers to pursue scholarship regarding political theory. The center grew to encompass a wider range of programing, including seminars and lecture series. Among these is the Janus Forum Lecture Series which featured speakers of contrasting viewpoints. Established in 2007, the lecture series hosted Noam Chomsky, Steven Pinker, Paul Krugman, Jeffrey Sachs, and Glenn Greenwald, among others.
Two student publications, the Brown Political Review and Brown Journal of Philosophy, Politics and Economics were sponsored by the Political Theory Project.
Funding
The Project gained attention and faced criticism for its acceptance of gifts from free-market organizations and foundations. Among the groups that donated to the Project are Atlas Network, Searle Freedom Trust, and the Charles Koch Foundation. The PTP maintained that it followed a "Programming First" policy wherein donors are not given input regarding the center's activities.
People
- John Tomasi, founder and director
- Jason Brennan, postdoctoral associate (2006–2008), author of Against Democracy
Faculty associates
- David Estlund, professor, philosophy
- Glenn Loury, professor, economics
- Mark C. Suchman, professor, sociology
- Ashutosh Varshney, professor, international studies and political science
References
- "Faculty vote in favor of establishing new Center for Philosophy, Politics and Economics". The Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
- ^ Tomasi, John (2018-02-25). "Tomasi: The Political Theory Project and the essence of Brown". Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved 2021-07-20.
- ^ Husk, Sarah (2008-10-27). "Free-market group gives to Political Theory". Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved 2021-07-20.
- Geller, Sarah (2006-12-08). "Growth of Political Theory Project leads to new programs". Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved 2021-07-20.
- Heck, Isobel (2014-04-25). "Chomsky, Ross debate Israel-Palestine peace process". Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved 2021-07-20.
- Truesdale, Jackson (2019-04-03). "Humanity making progress, say Pinker, Krugman". Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved 2021-07-20.
- Rock, Harry August,Julia (2018-03-05). "August '19, Rock '19: Beware the PTP". Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved 2021-07-20.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Brook, Jack (2018-09-11). "Crossing the Political Divide". www.brownalumnimagazine.com. Retrieved 2021-07-20.
- Journal, Alex NunesSpecial to The. "Koch funnels millions into Brown, riling the left". providencejournal.com. Retrieved 2021-07-20.
- "Analysis | The Daily 202: Koch network warns of 'McCarthyism 2.0' in conservative efforts to harass professors". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-07-23.
- Schmidtz, David; Brennan, Jason (2009-12-01). A Brief History of Liberty. Wiley. ISBN 978-1-4443-1829-6.
- "Past Postdoctoral Research Associates". Political Theory Project | Brown University. Retrieved 2021-07-23.
