معرفی
Prof. Dr. Josette Baer is an Adjunct Professor of Political Philosophy at the University of Zurich's Faculty of Philosophy, affiliated with the Department of Philosophy. She holds a PhD from UZH (1996) and habilitation in Slavic intellectual history (2006). Her research focuses on political thought in Slavic Central Europe, nationalism, and anti-communist dissent, with expertise in Czech, Slovak, and Balkan intellectual history. She has taught at institutions in Switzerland, the US (University of Washington), and Eastern Europe. Awards include a Swiss National Science Foundation stipend (2001-2004) and a fellowship from the Open Society Institute (2004-2006). She currently serves on the editorial board of the Historical Journal (Historický časopis).
Education:
- PhD (1996): University of Zurich, dissertation on Masaryk and Havel's democratic thought
- MSc (1993): Studies in Slavonic philology, political science (political philosophy/international relations), and Eastern European history
Research Interests:
Specializes in contract theories (Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Rawls), 20th-century Western political thinkers (Arendt, Berlin), and Slavic thinkers. Current focus: Slovak anti-communist dissent in the mid-20th century. Explores intersections between nationalism, liberalism, socialism, and intellectual history in Central and Eastern Europe.
Teaching:
- Political Philosophy (Advanced)
- Modern Philosophy (Advanced)
- Central Themes and Works in Philosophy
Publications:
Recent works include The seven deadly sins 3.0 (2024), analyzing modern ethical and political discourse, and Saul Goodman - the American Candide? (2024), exploring political themes in popular media. Also authored The green butterfly (2022), a biography of dissident writer Hana Ponická.
Grants & Editorial Roles:
- Assesses projects for Czech/Slovak Science Foundations and DFG
- Member of the editorial board for Historický časopis since 2019
