Sameer Bajaj

Sameer Bajaj is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Warwick, where he also serves as the Admissions Tutor for the PPE programme and co-Director of the Centre for Ethics, Law and Public Affairs (CELPA). He holds a PhD from the University of Arizona, a JD from Columbia Law School, and a BA from Pomona College.

His research lies at the intersection of moral and political philosophy, with a strong focus on democratic theory, public reason, political ethics, and normative foundations of justice. He investigates issues such as the moral duty to vote, mandate legitimacy in representation, consent under coercion, and the self-defeat objection to public reason liberalism.

His recent publications reveal a consistent engagement with democratic legitimacy, ethical governance, and the philosophical underpinnings of political institutions. He frequently publishes in leading journals such as Philosophical Studies, Ethics, and Journal of Political Philosophy, and has contributed to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. His work often involves collaboration with prominent scholars like Thomas Christiano and Enzo Rossi.

Scientific Contributions and Recognition:

• Co-authored entry on Democracy in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2022).
• Developed the 'partial validity account' of consent under third-party coercion (2023).
• Advanced the 'egalitarian theory of the duty to vote' (forthcoming).
• Explored mandate reasons derived from voter support (2025).
• Critiqued Rainer Forst’s theory of noumenal power and justification (2019).

Sameer Bajaj plays an active role in academic leadership through his co-direction of CELPA and admissions responsibilities. His research contributes significantly to contemporary debates in political philosophy, particularly in grounding democratic practices in moral and ethical principles. He has not listed any formal advisees in the provided material, but his administrative and editorial roles suggest mentorship and academic service.