Steven B. Smith (professor)
Encyclopedia
Steven B. Smith is the Alfred Cowles
Professor
of Political Science
at Yale University
. He is the ninth master of Branford College
(since 1996) at Yale.
A graduate of University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
and the recipient of an M.Phil. from England's Durham University
, in 1981 Steven Smith received his Ph.D.
from the University of Chicago
. He was briefly employed as an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin
before his 1984 arrival at Yale, where he was granted tenure in 1990. At Yale, he has served in many important positions while focusing on his research. His areas of expertise are the history of political philosophy
and the role of statecraft in constitutional government. He is an honorary member of Manuscript Society
.
His recent books include Spinoza, Liberalism and Jewish Identity (1997), Spinoza's Book of Life (2003), and his latest Reading Leo Strauss (2006).
He is married and has one son.
in Political Theory: An International Journal of Political Philosophy vol. 35 n.1 p. 62-74 as they both discussed Strauss' stance on liberal democracy.
Alfred Cowles
Alfred Cowles, 3rd was an American economist, businessman and founder of the Cowles Commission. He graduated from Yale in 1913, where he was a member of Skull and Bones....
Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. He is the ninth master of Branford College
Branford College
Branford College is the oldest of the 12 residential colleges at Yale University.-The Founding of Branford:Branford College was founded in 1933 by partitioning the Memorial Quadrangle into two parts: Saybrook and Branford...
(since 1996) at Yale.
A graduate of University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is a public university located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The University, often referred to as UTC or simply "Chattanooga" , is one of three universities and two other affiliated institutions in the University of Tennessee System; the others being in...
and the recipient of an M.Phil. from England's Durham University
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
, in 1981 Steven Smith received his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. He was briefly employed as an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
before his 1984 arrival at Yale, where he was granted tenure in 1990. At Yale, he has served in many important positions while focusing on his research. His areas of expertise are the history of political philosophy
Political philosophy
Political philosophy is the study of such topics as liberty, justice, property, rights, law, and the enforcement of a legal code by authority: what they are, why they are needed, what, if anything, makes a government legitimate, what rights and freedoms it should protect and why, what form it...
and the role of statecraft in constitutional government. He is an honorary member of Manuscript Society
Manuscript Society
Manuscript Society is a senior secret society at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Toward the end of each junior year, 16 undergraduates are "tapped" to be inducted into the society, which meets twice weekly for dinner and discussion...
.
His recent books include Spinoza, Liberalism and Jewish Identity (1997), Spinoza's Book of Life (2003), and his latest Reading Leo Strauss (2006).
He is married and has one son.
Controversies
Steven Smith's latest book Reading Leo Strauss generated controversy and an interesting exchange between himself and Shadia DruryShadia Drury
Shadia B. Drury is a Canadian academic and political commentator of Egyptian Arab Christian origin. She is Canada Research Chair in Social Justice at the University of Regina, in Regina, the provincial capital of Saskatchewan, Canada...
in Political Theory: An International Journal of Political Philosophy vol. 35 n.1 p. 62-74 as they both discussed Strauss' stance on liberal democracy.