Doctoral Fellow, 2009-10; Graduate Associate, 2007- | Department of Political Science

Doctoral Candidate, Department of Political Science, University of Toronto

Alex is presently completing a dissertation that explores the role of habit as a political phenomenon, entitled “The Force of Habit: Pragmatism, Democracy, and the Politics of Character”. In contrast to the “deliberative turn” of contemporary democratic theory that emphasizes language and deliberative cooperation as the core of democratic citizenship, his dissertation argues that the dynamic conception of habit developed by the American pragmatist tradition places the psychic life of power at the foreground of democratic politics and provides a critical perspective on the shortcomings of political intellectualism. More specifically, his dissertation seeks to ask what role everyday habits play in establishing or undermining the moral conditions of democratic citizenship, such as practical reason, mutual respect, and trust. His broader research interests include democratic theory, critical theory, and the history of political thought.

He holds BA (Hons) in Philosophy from Concordia University in Montreal and received his Masters degree also in Philosophy from York University in 2004. His graduate research has received support through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Ontario Graduate Scholarship, and he was recognized in 2008 with a teaching award for his work as a teaching assistant at the University of Toronto at Scarborough. His recent work has appeared in the journal, Political Theory.