Daniel Burnfin

Daniel Burnfin is a Teaching Fellow in the Department of Germanic Studies and The College at the University of Chicago. He joined UChicago in 2022 after earning his Ph.D. in Germanic Studies and Philosophy from the same institution. His research focuses on Modern German philosophy, class theory, classical political economy, Marxian and post-Keynesian theory, and the work of Alfred Sohn-Rethel, alongside the history and philosophy of science and economic history.

His current projects include a manuscript analyzing involuntary unemployment through Hegel, classical political economy, and Marx’s Capital, and a study of the Professional-Managerial Class concept. He is also involved in translating and editing Sohn-Rethel’s works. Burnfin teaches courses on Marx’s theories, fascism, political realism, and the nature of capitalism, often integrating interdisciplinary perspectives from literature, film, and historical analysis.

His scholarly output includes the 2024 publication Exposés on the materialistic criticism of knowledge. Burnfin actively engages with academic communities through events like lectures on Marx’s Capital and political economy debates. His work bridges philosophy, economics, and historical analysis, emphasizing critical engagement with foundational texts and their contemporary relevance.