Professor Saul Newman
Staff details

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
- Political Theology: a Critical Introduction (Polity 2018)
- ‘What is an Insurrection? Destituent Power and Ontological Anarchy in Agamben and Stirner’, Political Studies 2016
- Postanarchism, Polity, 2015
- Agamben and the Politics of Human Rights: Statelessness, Images, Violence (with John Lechte) Edinburgh University Press, 2013; paperback 2015
- The Politics of Postanarchism, Edinburgh University Press, 2010; paperback 2011
- Max Stirner (Critical Explorations in Contemporary Thought series) Palgrave Macmillan, 2011
- Unstable Universalities: Poststructuralism and Radical Politics, Manchester University Press 2007; paperback 2012
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, 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. Anarchism. In: Jonathan Pugh, ed. What is Radical Politics Today. Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 223-239. ISBN 978 0 230 23626 4
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
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
Article
Martin, James and Newman, Saul. 2023. Recontesting the Sacred: political theology as ideological method. Journal of Political Ideologies, ISSN 1356-9317
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. 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 and Lechte, John. 2012. ‘Agamben, Arendt and Human Rights: Bearing Witness to the Human’. European Journal of Social Theory,
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. New Reflections on the Theory of Power: A Lacanian Perspective. Contemporary Political Theory, 3(2), pp. 148-167. ISSN 1470-8914
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. ‘Terror, Sovereignty and Law: On the Politics of Violence.’. German Law Journal, 5(5), pp. 569-584.
Newman, Saul. 2003. Stirner and Foucault: Towards a Post-Kantian Freedom. Postmodern Culture, 13(2),
Newman, Saul. 2003. ‘Empiricism, Pluralism and Politics in Stirner and Deleuze’. Idealistic Studies, 33(1), pp. 9-24. ISSN 0046-8541
Newman, Saul. 2002. Max Stirner and the Politics of Posthumanism. Contemporary Political Theory, 1(2), pp. 221-238. ISSN 1470-8914
Newman, Saul. 2002. Spectres of the Uncanny: the ‘return of the repressed. Telos, 124, pp. 115-130.
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. 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. 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. 2000. ‘Universalism/Particularism: Towards a Poststructuralist Politics of Universality’. New Formations, 41, ISSN 0950-2378
Newman, Saul. 2000. Anarchism and the Politics of Ressentiment. Theory and Event, 4(3),