Alexander Brown

Alexander Brown is Associate Professor (Reader) in Political and Legal Theory.

He received his PhD from the Department of Philosophy, University College London (UCL) (2005). He was a lecturer in political theory in the Department of Political Science at UCL (2005-9) before coming to UEA in September 2009. In 2018 he held a visiting post at the University of Queensland.

He Tweets (@iAlexanderBrown) and blogs for The Conversation, The Huffington Post UK, and Eastminster

He has been a witness on The Moral Maze, BBC Radio 4, in 2021 and 2023.

His Google Scholar citations record can be found here. 

He is the author of a major study on behalf of the Council of Europe looking at Models of Governance of Online Hate speech, published May 2020.

He is also the author of seven research monographs:

- Hate Speech Frontiers: Exploring the Limits of the Ordinary and Legal Concepts (with Adriana Sinclair) (Cambridge University Press, 2023)

- An Ethics of Political Communication (Routledge, 2021)

- The Politics of Hate Speech Laws (with Adriana Sinclair) (Routledge, 2020)

- A Theory of Legitimate Expectations for Public Administration (Oxford University Press, 2017)

- Hate Speech Law: A Philosophical Examination (Routledge, 2015) 

- Personal responsibility: Why it Matters (Continuum, 2009)

- Ronald Dworkin’s Theory of Equality: Domestic and Global Perspectives (Palgrave, 2009)

He has published peer-reviewed articles and chapters in several fields of political philosophy, jurisprudence, applied ethics, and history of political thought, including most recently:

- 'Cosmopolitan Democratic and Communicative Rights: The Danish Cartoons Controversy and the Right to Be Heard, Even Across Borders', Human Rights Review (2021)

- 'African American Enslavement, Speech Act Theory, and the Law’, Journal of African American Studies (2019)

- ‘What is so special about online (as compared to offline) hate speech?’, Ethnicities (2018)

- ‘Retheorizing Actionable Injuries in Civil Lawsuits Involving Targeted Hate Speech: Hate Speech as Degradation and Humiliation’, Alabama Civil Rights & Civil Liberties Law Review (2018)

 - ‘Averting Your Eyes in the Information Age: Hate Speech, the Internet, and the Captive Audience Doctrine’, Charleston Law Review (2017)

- ‘A Theory of Legitimate Expectations’, Journal of Political Philosophy (2017)

- ‘Bringing Responsibility to Justice’, Ethical Perspectives (2017)

- ‘What is Hate Speech? Part 1: The Myth of Hate’, Law and Philosophy (2017)

- ‘What is Hate Speech? Part 2: Family Resemblences’, Law and Philosophy (2017)

- ‘The “Who?” Question in the Hate Speech Debate: Part 1: Consistency, Practical, and Formal Approaches’, Canadian Journal of Law & Jurisprudence (2016)

- ‘The “Who?” Question in the Hate Speech Debate: Part 2: Functional and Democratic Approaches’, Canadian Journal of Law & Jurisprudence (2017)

Alexander’s current research interests fall within the following areas: contemporary Anglo-American political philosophy and public affairs, jurisprudence, applied ethics, and the history of political thought. 

He is currently focused on: free speech and its limits (hate speech); legitimate expectations in the field of public administration; ethics in sport; personal responsibility and distributive justice; global resource inequality.

Alexander is available to teach on Distributive Justice (UG yr 3), Political Philosophy (UG yr 2), Advanced Themes in Political Philosophy (UG yr 3), Multiculturalism (UG yr 3), Western Political Thought (UG yr 2), Social and Political Theory (UG yr 1), Philosophical Problems (UG yr 1), and Free Speech (MA).

He is available to supervise PhD research in the areas of political philosophy, political theory including but not limited to the history of political thought, jurisprudence, and applied ethics.

Visiting Scholar at the University of Queensland (2018)

Reader in Political and Legal Theory, in the School of Politics, Philosophy, Language and Communication Studies, UEA (2017-)

Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Social and Political Theory, in the School of Politics, Philosophy, Language and Communication Studies, UEA (2014-17)

Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Social and Political Theory, in the School of Political, Social and International Studies, UEA (2012-14)

Lecturer in Contemporary Social and Political Theory, in the School of Political, Social and International Studies, UEA (2009-2012)

Lecturer in Political Theory, in the Department of Political Science, UCL (2005-9)

PhD in Political Philosophy, UCL (2005)

MA in Philosophy, UCL (1997)

BSocSci in Political Science and Philosophy, University of Birmingham (1996)

• Sector Communications Officer (Politics) (2020-)
• School Director of Postgraduate Research (2018)
• Sector Director of Postgraduate Research (Philosophy) (2018)
• Sector Director of Postgraduate Research (Politics) (2017)
• Director of BA Politics, MA Politics, MA Political Theory, MA Public Policy (2015)
• School Director of Postgraduate Taught Degrees (2013-14)
• Faculty Peer Review Pool (Grant applications) (2013- )
• School Deputy Director of Postgraduate Research (2012-13)
• School Director of Postgraduate Research (2011-12)
• School Enterprise and Engagement Officer (2010-11)