James Peter Burgess

James Peter Burgess is a Professor and Chair of Geopolitics of Risk at École normale supérieure (ENS) – PSL, Paris. A philosopher and political scientist, he investigates intersections of culture, politics, and ethics in security studies, with a focus on Europe. His work spans societal security, risk analysis, and the ethical implications of security technologies. He has authored 18 books and over 100 articles, funded by the European Commission, Research Council of Norway, and Axa Research Fund.

• Affiliation: École normale supérieure – PSL

Research areas include risk, uncertainty, societal security, and the cultural history of geopolitical concepts. Recent articles analyze posthuman security, surveillance ethics, and the role of uncertainty in modern governance. His edited collections like Surveillance, Privacy and Security (Routledge, 2017) and Socially Responsible Innovation in Security (Routledge, 2018) reflect interdisciplinary collaborations.

Scientific contributions emphasize the ethical foundations of security, blending phenomenology, Lacanian theory, and critical security studies. He pioneered methodologies for integrating cultural and social values into risk management frameworks, influencing debates on direct democracy ('Gilets Jaunes'), geopolitical discourse, and the future of security in a posthuman context.