Alexander Schaefer
PhD
Assistant Professor
Areas of Specialization
Social and Political Philosophy; PPE; Social Complexity; Political Economy.
Education
PhD, philosophy (doctoral minor in economics), ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ of Arizona
BA, economics, philosophy, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ of Wisconsin, Madison
Areas of Specialization
Social and Political Philosophy, PPE, Social Complexity, Political Economy
Current Research
My research focuses on social complexity, institutional evolution, and the social contract. When writing on these topics, I aim to put philosophy in dialogue with social science. So, most of my work ends up falling within the subfield of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics — usually called "PPE".
Courses Taught
History of Political Economy
The Social Contract
Social Philosophy
Office Hours
By appointment
Selected Publications
- “Polycentricity and Adaptation: A Multilevel Selectionist Approach.” Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, vol.210, 2023, pp.265-287.
- “Is Justice a Fixed Point?” American Journal of Political Science, 2023, vol.67, no.2, pp.277-290.
- “Hayek’s Twin Ideas.” The Cambridge Journal of Economics, 2021, vol.45, no.6, pp.1209-1226.