Daniel Matthews

Daniel Matthews is an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Warwick's School of Law, where he also serves as Director of PGR Studies (T1). His academic work spans legal theory, political theory, and law and literature with a concentrated focus on sovereignty frameworks and political community in contemporary contexts.

His research interests include:

• Legal Theory
• Political Theory
• Law and the Humanities
• Constitutional Theory
• Climate Change
• Political Ecology
• Sovereignty Theory
• Anthropocene Studies

Matthews takes a transdisciplinary approach that draws on critical legal theory, political theory, literature, aesthetics and ecology to examine how sovereignty concepts are challenged by planetary climatic change. His work engages with prominent thinkers including Bruno Latour, Simone Weil, Clive Hamilton, and Judith Butler to develop innovative theoretical frameworks.

His publications reveal a consistent trajectory toward understanding sovereignty's relationship with ecological transformation, culminating in his prize-winning monograph that examines sovereignty's 'aesthetics' in the Anthropocene context.

His notable recognition includes:

• Penny Pether Prize (2021) awarded by The Law, Literature and the Humanities Association of Australasia for 'Earthbound: The Aesthetics of Sovereignty in the Anthropocene'

As Director of PGR Studies, Matthews oversees postgraduate research programs while maintaining active scholarly engagement through editorial roles with Law and Critique and Law & Literature (where he serves as book reviews editor), demonstrating his commitment to advancing discourse in legal theory and interdisciplinary scholarship.