معرفی
Thomas Szanto is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Copenhagen, where he works at the Center for Subjectivity Research. His academic career spans multiple prestigious institutions including the University of Vienna, University of Jyväskylä, and University College Dublin. He currently leads the Carlsberg Foundation research project 'Who are We? Self-identity, Social Cognition, and Collective Intentionality' (2020-2024) as affiliate researcher under PI Prof. Dan Zahavi.
His educational background includes:
- PhD in Philosophy (Dr. phil.) (summa cum laude), University of Vienna (2010)
- MA in Philosophy (Mag. phil.) (summa cum laude), University of Vienna (2004)
Dr. Szanto specializes in phenomenology, philosophy of emotion, social ontology, and political theory, with particular focus on irrational or disruptive emotional phenomena in social and political contexts. His research examines emotional alienation, collaborative akrasia and self-deception, group-related distrust, Ressentiment, and hatred. He actively bridges phenomenological approaches with empirical research in sociology of emotions, social psychology, social identification theory, and political psychology. His interdisciplinary work demonstrates how philosophical analysis can illuminate complex emotional dynamics within collective settings and political spheres.
His recent publications reveal a clear trajectory toward examining political emotions and their ethical implications, particularly focusing on antagonistic emotions, collective affective states, and the phenomenology of social cohesion. These works integrate phenomenological insights with contemporary political theory to address pressing questions about democratic engagement, group identity, and emotional rationality in public discourse.
Dr. Szanto has received recognition through prestigious fellowships including a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship (scoring 96.2/100) and a DOC-Scholarship from the Austrian Academy of Science. His research has been supported by various organizations including the Carlsberg Foundation, VELUX Fonden, and the Austrian Academy of Science.
As an advisor, Dr. Szanto has supervised multiple PhD candidates including Julia Zaencker, Tristan Hedges, and Linas Tranas, as well as numerous MA students. He has organized several international conferences and workshops, including the 2022 'For, Against, Together: Antagonistic Political Emotions' conference at the University of Copenhagen. He serves on editorial boards such as the Journal of Philosophy of Emotions and regularly reviews for major philosophy journals including Mind, Synthese, and Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences.
Dr. Szanto is affiliated with the Center for Subjectivity Research at the University of Copenhagen and contributes to multiple collaborative projects across Europe. His work involves extensive collaboration through networks like the Society for Philosophy of Emotions, International Society of Social Ontology, and European Network on Social Ontology.
