Alexander Brown

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

He is also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).

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, Eastminster and 1584.

He has been a witness on The Moral Maze, BBC Radio 4, in 2021, 2023, and 2024.

He is the author of two major studies on behalf of the Council of Europe, looking at Models of Governance of Online Hate speech (2020) and Implementing the First Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime (2023) respectively.

His Impact Case Study (Combating hate speech) was included in the UEA REF2021 submission under UoA-30.

Alexander has published extensively across several fields of political and legal theory. His research has received over 2,500 citations as recorded by Google Scholar here. 

He is also an 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)

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: distributive justice; and free speech and its limits (hate speech).

Alexander is available to teach on Social and Political Theory (UG yr 1), Western Political Thought (UG yr 2), Philosophy of History and Politics (UG yr 2/3), Distributive Justice (UG yr 3), Multiculturalism (UG yr 3), 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, University of Queensland (2018)

Lecturer / Senior Lecturer / Reader / Associate Professor in Political and Legal Theory, UEA (2009- )

Lecturer in Political Theory, UCL (2005-2009)

Teaching Fellow in Political Philosophy (Part-time), University of Essex (2006-2007)

Tutor in Moral Philosophy (Part-time), Kings College London (2003)

Tutor in Political Philosophy (Part-time), Birkbeck College (2001-2007)

Tutor in Political Philosophy (Part-time), UCL (2001-2004)

Tutor in Modern Philosophy (Part-time), University of Reading (2001)

PhD in Political Philosophy, UCL (2005)

MA in Philosophy, UCL (1997)

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

• School Lead for the SENSS Doctoral Training Programme (2023-)
• Sector Communications Officer (Politics) (2020-22)
• 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)

Free speech; hate speech; economic justice; inequality; political theory; legal theory; jurisprudence; public law; applied ethics; sport.