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Department of Philosophy

John Lawless

Assistant Professor
Philosophy
Office
STV Stevenson Hall 412
Office Phone
(309) 438-7665office
phone
Email
jclawl1@ilstu.eduemail
Website
https://www.johnlawless.org/website
  • About
  • Research

Biography

John Lawless works in social, political, and legal philosophy and in the philosophy of race.

Current Courses

PHI 101.003 Basic Issues In Philosophy

PHI 101.012 Basic Issues In Philosophy

PHI 340.001 Topics in Legal and Political Philosophy

PHI 101.001 Basic Issues In Philosophy

PHI 246.001 Feminist Philosophies

PHI 242.001 Race and the Philosophy of Law

Research Interests & Areas

Contemporary republican theory often focuses on developing productive models of republican ideals: What does it mean to be free, to be equal, to be a citizen of a republic? In past research, I have contributed to this work by developing a conception of freedom as social recognition. To be free, I argue, is to enjoy the standing to demand recognition of one’s rights. In new research, I develop resources for a non-ideal republicanism, oriented toward the evaluation of corrupt republics, and the cultivation of republican movements in unjust societies.

Journal Article

Lawless, J. Against acceptance theories of social norms. Politics, Philosophy & Economics (2025)
Lawless, J. Does Non‐Idealism Entail Particularism?. Journal of Social Philosophy (2025)
Lawless, J. (2023). Social norms and social practices. Philosophy & Social Criticism, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/01914537231211033
John Lawless; White Shame, Non-white Citizenship. Public Affairs Quarterly 1 January 2022; 36 (1): 71–98. doi: https://doi.org/10.5406/21520542.36.1.04
Lawless, J. Against the Managerial State: Preventive Policing as Non-Legal Governance. Law and Philos 39, 657–689 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10982-020-09379-2