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Professor Saul Newman

Staff details

Position Professor of Political Theory
Department Politics and International Relations
Email s.newman (@gold.ac.uk)
Phone +44 (0)20 7919 7747
Professor Saul Newman

Saul Newman is Professor of Political Theory. He joined the Department in 2006. His work is in the area of continental political theory as applied to a study of contemporary forms of radical politics. He coined the term ‘postanarchism’ to describe new post-statist forms of political activism.

His research has also led him to an exploration of sovereignty, political theology, democracy and post-secularism, autonomy and freedom, human rights and statelessness. He has also written widely on the nineteenth century German thinker Max Stirner, and he published the first ever edited collection on Stirner’s thought in the English language.

Saul Newman is Co-director of the Research Unit for Contemporary Political Theory.

Academic qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science, 1994-1998 University of New South Wales
  • First Class Honours in Political Science, 1993 – 1994 University of New South Wales
  • Bachelor of Arts, Government, Philosophy, History, 1990 – 1992, University of Sydney

Teaching

Saul Newman’s teaching expertise is in political theory and the history of political thought. He has taught the following modules:

  • Modern Political Theory (2nd yr)
  • Discourse Power Politics (3rd yr)
  • Continental Political Theory: the politics of violence (MA)

Area of supervision

Saul Newman’s general area of research expertise and supervision experience is in contemporary political and social theory, as well as radical political thought. He welcomes PhD applications in any of these areas. He has supervised research on piracy, biopolitics and security; Alain Badiou and postanarchism; Marx and Foucault; anarchism, squatting and radical theories of property.

Professional experience

Membership of Professional Associations

  • Political Studies Association
  • International Political Science Association

Editorial responsibilities

  • Series Editor for Rowman & Littlefield International book series – ‘New Politics of Autonomy’ (link to website: http://www.rowmaninternational.com/politics/new-politics-of-autonomy-series)
  • Editorial Board, Contemporary Political Theory
  • Editorial Board, Anarchist Studies
  • Editorial Board, Journal of Political Power

Featured publications

Media appearances, grants and awards

Newton Fund Research Mobility Grant (CONFAP) Brazil, 2018

Newton Fund Research Mobility Grant (CONFAP) Brazil, 2016

Macquarie University Safety Net Grant (ARC) (in collaboration with John Lechte) 2012

Visiting Professor of Political Theory, University of Ljubljana, 2011, 2014, 2015

ANU Visiting Fellowship in the Sociology Program, Jan-Mar 2011

British Academy Small Research Grant, 2007

UWA Research Grant, 2002

UWA Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2001-2004

Research Interests

Professor Saul Newman's research interests are in contemporary political and social theory, Continental thought and radical politics.

He has published extensively on postanarchist theory, radical political movements and networks, the politics of securitization, deconstructive approaches to sovereignty and law, and the politics of violence.

He has also written widely on German philosopher, Max Stirner, recently publishing the first ever edited collection on his thought in the English language. His current research engages with political theology, human rights and questions of statelessness and borders, and contemporary forms of autonomous politics.

Publications and research outputs

Book

Newman, S. 2018. Political Theology: a Critical Introduction. Cambridge: Polity Press. ISBN 9781509528394

Newman, Saul. 2015. Postanarchism. Cambridge: Polity Press. ISBN 9780745688732

Newman, Saul. 2015. Postanarchism. Cambridge: Polity. ISBN 9780745688732

Newman, Saul and Lechte, John. 2013. Agamben and the Politics of Human Rights: Statelessness, Images, Violence. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 978-0748645725

Newman, Saul. 2011. Max Stirner. UK: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 0230283357

Newman, Saul. 2010. The Politics of Postanarchism. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 978 0 7486 3495 8

Newman, Saul; Cox, Damian and Levine, Michael. 2009. Politics Most Unusual: Violence, Sovereignty and Democracy in the 'War on Terror'. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-230-53539-8

Newman, Saul; Levine, Michael and Cox, Damian. 2008. Politics Most Unusual: Violence, Sovereignty and Democracy in the War on Terror. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0230535398

Newman, Saul. 2007. Unstable Universalities: Poststructuralism and Radical Politics. Manchester University Press. ISBN 0719071283

Newman, Saul. 2005. Power and Politics in Poststructuralist Thought: New Theories of the Political. Routledge. ISBN 0415364566

Newman, Saul. 2001. From Bakunin to Lacan: Anti-authoritarianism and the Dislocation of Power. Lexington Books. ISBN 0739102400

Edited Book

Levy, Carl and Newman, Saul, eds. 2019. The Anarchist Imagination: Anarchism Encounters the Humanities and the Social Sciences. Abingdon: Routledge. ISBN 9781138781184

Edited Journal

Newman, Saul, ed. 2011. The Libertarian Impulse’, Journal of Political Ideologies, 16(3). 1356-9317

Newman, Saul, ed. 2010. The Libertarian Impulse, Journal of Political Ideologies, . 1356-9317

Book Section

Berry, Josephine. 2021. Spectatorial Splitting and Transcultural Seeing in the Age of Pandemics. In: Saul Newman and Tihomir Topuzovski, eds. The Posthuman Pandemic. London: Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 9781350239081

Newman, Saul A. 2021. Contagious Politics: Posthuman anarchism. In: Saul Newman and Tihomir Topuzovski, eds. The Posthuman Pandemic. London: Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 9781350239067

Newman, Saul. 2021. Political Theology. In: Gerard Delanty and Stephen P. Turner, eds. Routledge International Handbook of Contemporary Social and Political Theory. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 550-560. ISBN 9780367629090

Levy, Carl. 2019. Conclusion in Three Acts: False Genealogies and Suspect Methodologies. In: Carl Levy and Saul Newman, eds. The Anarchist Imagination: Anarchism Encounters the Humanities and the Social Sciences. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 240-258. ISBN 9781138781184

Levy, Carl. 2019. Introduction: Anarchism encounters the humanities and the social sciences. In: Carl Levy and Saul Newman, eds. The Anarchist Imagination: Anarchism Encounters the Humanities and the Social Sciences. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 1-29. ISBN 9781138781184

Newman, Saul. 2019. Postanarchism Today: Postanarchism and Political Theory. In: Carl Levy and Saul Newman, eds. The Anarchist Imagination: Anarchism Encounters the Humanities and Social Sciences. Abingdon: Routledge. ISBN 9781138781184

Newman, Saul. 2018. Postanarchism. In: Carl Levy and M Adams, eds. The Palgrave Handbook of Anarchism. London: Palgrave. ISBN 978-3-319-75619-6

Newman, Saul. 2018. The Politics of Ressentiment and the Problem of Voluntary Servitude. In: S van Tuinen, ed. The Polemics of Ressentiment: Variations on Nietzsche. London: Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 9781350003675

Newman, Saul. 2017. Anarchism and Psychoanalysis. In: Nathan Jun, ed. Brill's Companion to Anarchism and Philosophy. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill. ISBN 9789004356887

Newman, Saul. 2015. 'Critique will be the art of voluntary inservitude': Foucault, La Boetie and the Problem of Power. In: S. Fuggle; Y. Lanci and M. Tazzioli, eds. Foucault and the History of Our Present. UK: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 58-73. ISBN 978-1137385918

Newman, Saul. 2014. Occupy and Autonomous Political Life. In: Alexandros Kioupkiolis and Giorgos Katsambekis, eds. Radical Democracy and Collective Movements Today. Ashgate, pp. 93-110. ISBN 978-1-4094-7052-6

Newman, Saul. 2012. 'Research Methods and Problems: Postanarchism'. In: Ruth Kinna, ed. Continuum Companion to Anarchism. UK: Continuum. ISBN 9781441172129

Newman, Saul. 2011. Terror, Sovereignty and Law: On the Politics of Violence. In: Russell Miller and Peer Zumbansen, eds. Comparative Law as Transnational Law. USA: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0199795207

Newman, Saul. 2011. 'Stirner's Ethics of Voluntary Inservitude'. In: Saul Newman, ed. Max Stirner. UK: Palgrave, pp. 189-209. ISBN 0230283357

Newman, Saul. 2009. Anarchism. In: Jonathan Pugh, ed. What is Radical Politics Today. Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 223-239. ISBN 978 0 230 23626 4

Newman, Saul. 2009. Anarchism, Utopia and the Future of Radical Politics. In: Ruth Kinna and Laurence Davis, eds. Anarchism and Utopianism. Manchester University Press, pp. 207-220.

Newman, Saul. 2009. Imprisoning Politics: The Logic of Security and the Undermining of Democracy. In: Matt Morgan, ed. The Impact of 9/11 on Politics and War. Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 197-207. ISBN 978 0 230 60763 7

Newman, Saul. 2009. Politics in the Age of Control. In: Mark Poster and David Savat, eds. Deleuze and New Technology. Edinburgh University Press, pp. 104-122. ISBN 978 0 7486 3338 8

Article

Newman, Saul. 2022. La Boétie and republican liberty: Voluntary servitude and non-domination. European Journal of Political Theory, 21(1), pp. 134-154. ISSN 1474-8851

Newman, Saul. 2022. Power, Freedom and Obedience in Foucault and La Boétie: voluntary servitude as the problem of government. Theory, Culture & Society, 39(1), pp. 123-141. ISSN 0263-2764

Newman, Saul. 2021. Political theology and religious pluralism: Rethinking liberalism in times of post-secular emancipation. European Journal of Social Theory, 24(2), pp. 177-194. ISSN 1368-4310

Newman, Saul. 2020. Gustav Landauer's anarcho-mysticism and the critique of political theology. Political Theology, 21(5), pp. 434-451. ISSN 1462-317X

Newman, Saul. 2019. Post-Truth and the Crisis of the Political. Soft Power, 6(2), pp. 91-108. ISSN 2389-8232

Newman, Saul. 2019. ‘Ownness created a new freedom’: Max Stirner’s alternative concept of liberty. Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, 22(2), pp. 155-175. ISSN 1369-8230

Newman, Saul. 2017. What is an Insurrection? Destituent Power and Ontological Anarchy in Agamben and Stirner. Political Studies, 65(2), pp. 284-299. ISSN 0032-3217

Newman, Saul. 2016. Stirner and the Critique of Political Theology. Telos, 2016(175), pp. 127-148. ISSN 0090-6514

Newman, Saul and Lechte, John. 2012. ‘Agamben, Arendt and Human Rights: Bearing Witness to the Human’. European Journal of Social Theory,

Newman, Saul. 2012. 'Anarchism and Law: towards a postanarchist ethics of disobedience'. Griffith Law Review, 21(2), ISSN 1038-3441

Newman, Saul. 2012. Crowned Anarchy: Postanarchism and International Relations. Millennium Journal of International Studies, 40(2),

Newman, Saul. 2011. Postanarchism and space: Revolutionary fantasies and autonomous zones. Planning Theory, 10(4), pp. 344-365. ISSN 1473-0952

Newman, Saul. 2011. Postanarchism: A Politics of Anti-Politics. Journal of Political Ideologies, 16(3), pp. 313-327. ISSN 1356-9317

Newman, Saul. 2010. The Horizon of Anarchy: Anarchism and contemporary radical thought. Theory & Event, 13(2),

Newman, Saul. 2010. Postanarchism and Power. Journal of Power, 3(2), pp. 259-274. ISSN 1754-0291

Newman, Saul. 2008. Connolly’s Democratic Pluralism and the Question of State Sovereignty. The British Journal Of Politics And International Relations, 10(2), pp. 227-240.

Newman, Saul. 2007. Anarchism, Poststructuralism and the Future of Radical Politics. SubStance, 36(2), pp. 3-19. ISSN 0049-2426

Newman, Saul and Levine, Michael. 2006. ‘War, Politics, Race: Reflections on Violence in the ‘War on Terror’. Theoria, 53(110), pp. 23-49. ISSN 0040-5817

Newman, Saul and Levine, Michael. 2006. Sacred Cows and The Changing Face of Discourse on Terrorism: Cranking it Up a Notch. International Journal of Human Rights, 10(4), pp. 359-371. ISSN 1364-2987

Newman, Saul. 2004. The Place of Power in Political Discourse. International Political Science Review, 25(2), pp. 139-157. ISSN 01925121

Newman, Saul. 2004. ‘Anarchism, Marxism and the Bonapartist State’. Anarchist Studies, 12(1), ISSN 0967-3393

Newman, Saul. 2004. Interrogating the Master: Lacan and Radical Politics. Psychoanalysis, Culture and Society, 9(3), pp. 298-314. ISSN 1088-0763

Newman, Saul. 2004. New Reflections on the Theory of Power: A Lacanian Perspective. Contemporary Political Theory, 3(2), pp. 148-167. ISSN 1470-8914

Newman, Saul. 2004. ‘Terror, Sovereignty and Law: On the Politics of Violence.’. German Law Journal, 5(5), pp. 569-584.

Newman, Saul. 2003. ‘Empiricism, Pluralism and Politics in Stirner and Deleuze’. Idealistic Studies, 33(1), pp. 9-24. ISSN 0046-8541

Newman, Saul. 2003. Stirner and Foucault: Towards a Post-Kantian Freedom. Postmodern Culture, 13(2),

Newman, Saul. 2002. Max Stirner and the Politics of Posthumanism. Contemporary Political Theory, 1(2), pp. 221-238. ISSN 1470-8914

Newman, Saul. 2002. Politics of the Ego: Stirner’s Critique of Liberalism. Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, 5(3), pp. 1-26. ISSN 1369-8230

Newman, Saul. 2002. Spectres of the Uncanny: the ‘return of the repressed. Telos, 124, pp. 115-130.

Newman, Saul. 2001. ‘Derrida and the Deconstruction of Authority’. Philosophy and Social Criticism, 27(3), pp. 1-10. ISSN 0191-4537

Newman, Saul. 2001. 'For Collective Social Action: Towards a Postmodern Theory of Collective Identity'. Philosophy and Social Action, 27(1),

Newman, Saul. 2001. ‘Foucault and the Limits of Power’. International Journal of Political Studies (RIEP), 3(1),

Newman, Saul. 2001. Spectres of Stirner: a Contemporary Critique of Ideology. Journal of Political Ideologies, 6(3), pp. 309-330. ISSN 1356-9317

Newman, Saul. 2001. ‘War on the State: Deleuze and Stirner’s Anarchism’. Anarchist Studies, 9(2), ISSN 0967-3393

Newman, Saul. 2000. Anarchism and the Politics of Ressentiment. Theory and Event, 4(3),

Newman, Saul. 2000. ‘Universalism/Particularism: Towards a Poststructuralist Politics of Universality’. New Formations, 41, ISSN 0950-2378