معرفی
Thorvald Sirnes is a Professor at the Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities, University of Bergen, within the Faculty of Social Sciences. He is deeply engaged in the philosophical and theoretical foundations of social science, focusing on ethics, biopolitics, and political discourse. He teaches VITSV900, a mandatory course in philosophy and ethics for PhD students in the social sciences at UiB.
- PhD in Social Theory, University of Bergen (1997)
His research centers on the epistemological and ethical dimensions of social sciences, with strong emphasis on critical theory (Foucault, Agamben, Bourdieu, Habermas). He explores the moral and political implications of biotechnology, stem cell research, and biobanking, often through comparative frameworks between Norway and the UK. His work also extends to Indian politics and society, especially Northeast India, where he has conducted fieldwork and collaborated with institutions like Jawaharlal Nehru University. He has published extensively on discourses of exception, sovereignty, and the 'regime of goodness' in modern politics.
His recent and historical publications reveal a consistent focus on power, ethics, and meaning in science and politics, particularly during states of exception such as pandemics and biotechnological debates. Themes of vulnerability, authority, and moral regulation recur across his work.
He has supervised numerous Master’s and PhD students, including notable theses on caste, biocitizenship, and moral commissions. His collaborative projects often involve interdisciplinary teams and Norwegian Research Council funding.
Sirnes is an active public intellectual, contributing to media, seminars, and outreach events, including a major seminar on ecological distress in Northeast India. He has presented at international conferences and seminars in Paris, Tokyo, and Oslo.
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