معرفی
Patrick J. Deneen is Professor of Political Science and holds the David A. Potenziani Memorial College Chair of Constitutional Studies at the University of Notre Dame. He joined the faculty in 2012 as Associate Professor and was promoted to full Professor in 2018. Prior academic appointments include Georgetown University (2005–2012), where he held the Markos and Eleni Tsakapoulos-Kounalakis Chair in Hellenic Studies and founded the Tocqueville Forum, and Princeton University (1997–2005) as Assistant Professor of Government.
His educational background includes a B.A. in English Literature from Rutgers University, where he graduated summa cum laude, and a Ph.D. in Political Science, also from Rutgers, under Wilson Carey McWilliams. His dissertation, The Odyssey of Political Theory, received the American Political Science Association’s Leo Strauss Award for Best Dissertation in Political Theory in 1995.
Research Interests:
- Political Theory
- Liberalism and Conservatism
- Critics of Modernity
- American Political Thought
- Tocqueville and Democratic Theory
- Constitutionalism and Religion in Public Life
Deneen’s scholarship critically examines the philosophical foundations of liberalism, arguing that its internal logic undermines the very civic institutions—family, church, community—that sustain a free society. His influential book Why Liberalism Failed (2018) has been translated into over twenty languages and praised by figures across the ideological spectrum, including former President Barack Obama. His 2023 follow-up, Regime Change, calls for a new conservative elite rooted in local communities and pre-postmodern values.
Scientific Awards and Honors:
- APSA Leo Strauss Award (1995)
- APSA Honorable Mention for Best First Book (2000)
- Research Fellowships: Princeton University, Earhart Foundation, Institute for Advanced Study at the University of Virginia
Advising and Grants: While specific student advisees are not listed, Deneen has held leadership roles in academic programs, including serving as Interim Director of the Minor in Constitutional Studies (2014–2015) and Acting Director of the Center for Ethics and Culture (Spring 2018). He has received multiple research fellowships supporting his work on political theory and American constitutionalism. He is affiliated with the Tocqueville Program for Inquiry into Religion and American Public Life and serves on editorial boards including Perspectives on Political Science and American Political Thought.
Labs and Teams: At Georgetown, Deneen founded the Tocqueville Forum on the Roots of American Democracy, which became a vibrant center for interdisciplinary reflection on American political culture. At Notre Dame, he contributes to the Tocqueville Program and the Minor in Constitutional Studies, fostering dialogue on religion, constitutionalism, and civic life.
