Joshua Folkerts

Dr. Joshua Folkerts is a political scientist and lecturer in Political Theory and History of Ideas at the University of Rostock, Germany. He holds a PhD in Political Science from Rostock (summa cum laude), with a dissertation titled *Hegelian Welfare State: Hegel's Contribution to Political Theory*. His academic roles include Research Associate at the Chair of Political Theory (since 2024), and prior positions as a research fellow in the DFG-funded *Power of Interpretation* graduate school and Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Boston University (2022–2023).

• Affiliations: University of Rostock, DFG Graduate School, BU Philosophy Department
• Educations: PhD (Rostock 2023), M.A. (Heidelberg 2017), B.A. (Heidelberg 2015)

Research focuses on Hegelian political theory, welfare state origins, interpretive power analysis, and political myths. He has published widely in journals like *Journal of the American Philosophical Association* and *Leviathan*, with a monograph on Hegel’s welfare theory (2024). His work bridges classical and modern political thought, emphasizing ecological and comparative dimensions.

Teaching includes seminars on political theory, climate change activism, Hannah Arendt, and Hegel’s *Philosophy of Right*. He has organized lectureships, advised academic projects in science communication, and contributed to interdisciplinary initiatives like the *Open University Rostock* program.