Dagmar Comtesse

Prof. Dr. Dagmar Comtesse is a Professor in the Institute of Philosophy at the University of Duisburg-Essen’s Faculty of Humanities. Her research bridges radical democracy theory, political philosophy, and philosophy didactics, with a focus on the French Enlightenment and socioeconomic inequality. She has co-edited the Handbook of Radical Democracy Theory (2019) and is currently working on Radikale Demokratietheorie und Staat (2025). Her recent work explores Rousseau’s democratic sovereignty, populism, and postnational republics.

Key research areas include:

• Democratic theory and radical equality
• Rousseau and D’Alembert’s Enlightenment legacies
• Postnational governance and European basic income
• Philosophy education and ideological neutrality
• Populist interventions in expertocracies
• Encyclopédie’s political philosophy

Scientific awards include:

• Forschungsstipendium from the Deutsches Historisches Institut Paris (2020)
• DAAD Post Doc Stipendium (2014)
• Thüringen Post Doc Stipendium (2017-2018)

She has held positions at the University of Münster, Goethe University Frankfurt, and Columbia University, and contributes to public discourse through media engagements and the blog Praefaktisch. Her advising role in educational programs and participation in interdisciplinary projects like PhEEL and MetaEssen further highlight her academic impact.