Welcome to David Thunder's website! Dr. David Thunder, hailing from Dublin, Ireland, is a political philosopher and a permanent Research Fellow at the University of Navarra’s Institute for Culture and Society in Pamplona, Spain. His research has been supported by two major grants awarded by the Spanish government in recognition of an outstanding research career: a Ramón y Cajal fellowship (2017-2021) and an I3 research consolidation grant (2022-24). David earned his BA and MA in philosophy at University College Dublin, and his Ph.D. in political science at the University of Notre Dame. He has held several research and teaching positions, including Visiting Assistant Professor in Political Theory at Bucknell University (2006-07) and Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Princeton University’s James Madison Program (2008-09), before joining the University of Navarra.
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David's research, which aims to develop an ethically rich and psychologically plausible theory of politics and social organisation, exposes the limitations of top-down, Statist models of order and the advantages of bottom-up, community-based approaches to the governance of social life. His working hypothesis is that a federated political and social order granting generous leeway for self-regulation by local and municipal associations and communities, can provide a promising framework for solving social problems and living dignified, flourishing human lives.
David’s academic writings include Citizenship and the Pursuit of the Worthy Life (Cambridge University Press, 2014), The Ethics of Citizenship in the 21st Century (edited volume, Springer, 2017), and numerous articles in leading academic journals such as the American Journal of Political Science, Political Theory, and Journal of Business Ethics. He is currently completing a book, The Polycentric Republic: A Theory of Civil Order for Free and Diverse Societies, that defends a pluralistic, bottom-up, and federalist conception of civil order. He is also co-editor (with Pablo Paniagua) of Polycentric Governance and the Good Society, forthcoming with Lexington Books.
David's passion for the study of freedom goes hand in hand with a passion for promoting a deeper understanding of freedom and its preconditions beyond the "ivory tower." He has given many talks to non-academic audiences, provided advice to elected politicians and political movements, published dozens of op eds on current affairs issues in newspapers such as The Irish Times and El Mundo and digital media platforms such as The Conversation, Mercatornet and the Clingendael Spectator, and conducted dozens of media interviews, including guest appearances on Newstalk (an Irish radio station), TV3's Tonight Show (in Ireland), and GB News. Last but not least, David runs a blog about issues affecting freedom in the West, called The Freedom Blog.
my social media channels
David Thunder
Political Philosophy Researcher & Lecturer
Institute for Culture and Society
University of Navarra
Pamplona,
Spain
Education
2000-2006
MA & Ph.D in Political Science
University of Notre Dame
1997-1998
MA in Philosophy
1993-1997
BA in French and Philosophy
University College Dublin
University College Dublin
Academic Positions
Research Fellow
2012-2024
2011-2012
Visiting Assistant Professor
University of Navarra - Institute for Culture and Society
Villanova University - Department of Political Science
2009-2011
Visiting Assistant Professor
Villanova University - Matthew J Ryan Center
2008-2009
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Princeton University - James Madison Program, Dept of Politics
2007-2008
Junior Visiting Fellow
2006-2007
Visiting Assistant Professor
Witherspoon Institute, Princeton
Bucknell University - Department of Political Science
Skills & Experiences
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Leadership and Project Management
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Academic Writing and Publishing
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Writing for popular audiences
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Public Speaking
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Critical and Creative Thinking
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Conducting Media Interviews
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Political Consulting
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Video Editing (Adobe Premiere Pro)
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4 Languages (English, Spanish, French, Italian)
Awards & Certificates
2017-2021
Ramón y Cajal Research Grant
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I3 Certificate & Research Consolidation Grant
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Two sexenio certificates
Grant awarded by the Spanish government in recognition of an outstanding research trajectory, to support research costs for 4 years, and co-finance my salary for the duration of 5 years. €200K in total.
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I won this certificate and consolidation grant from the Spanish government in recognition of outstanding research. €100K in total.
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Official certification by ANECA (National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation of Spain) of 12 years of research activity and publications
2022-2024
2004-2015
Research Interests
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Ethics of citizenship in modern societies​​
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Democracy, self-government and federalism
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Theory and practice of popular sovereignty
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​Polycentric governance, freedom and human flourishing in social organisations and practices
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The value and practice of free speech in an era of Big Data and social media
Academic Publications
Please find below a selection of my academic publications (for a more complete list, click here). I have published a single-author book with Cambridge University Press, two edited volumes, ten book chapters, and numerous articles in prominent peer reviewed journals like American Journal of Political Science, Political Theory and Journal of Business Ethics..
"Thunder's account of the role of citizenship in a worthy life is a broadly attractive one, and he defends it quite ably in his penultimate chapter against six important objections to his integrationist thesis. He writes, moreover, with clarity and grace."
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- Richard Dagger, Professor of Political Science and Philosophy, Politics, Economics and Law, University of Richmond.
Book Translation:
Monographs
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Citizenship and the Pursuit of the Worthy Life. Cambridge University Press, 2014.
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The Polycentric Republic: A Theory of Civil Order for Free and Diverse Societies. Under review
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Edited Volumes
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The Ethics of Citizenship in the 21st Century. Editor and contributor. Spring, 2017.
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Polycentric Governance and the Good Society: A Normative and Philosophical Investigation. Co-edited with Pablo Paniagua. Forthcoming with Lexington Books.
Journal Articles
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“Moral Parochialism and the Limits of Impartiality." The Heythrop Journal, vol. 61 (2020), pp. 24-34.
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“Can a Good Person Be a Good Trader? An Ethical Defense of Financial Trading." Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 159, no. 1 (Sep 2019), pp. 89-103. Co-authored with Marta Rocchi.
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“The Public Role of Humanities Scholarship, in the Humboldtian Tradition." University of Toronto Quarterly, vol. 85, no. 4 (Fall 2016), pp. 46-66.
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“Rethinking the Ethics of Giving: The Normative and Motivational Inadequacy of Resource Management Approaches to Beneficence." Journal of Social Philosophy, vol. 46, no. 3 (Fall 2015), pp. 297-317.
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“Why Respect for Freedom Cannot Explain the Content and Grounds of Human Rights: A Response to Valentini.” Political Theory, vol. 42, n. 4 (August 2014), pp. 490-497.
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“Am I My Brother’s Keeper? Grounding and Motivating an Ethos of Social Responsibility in a Free Society.” Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, vol. 12, no. 4 (Dec 2009), pp. 559-580.
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“Why Value Pluralism Does Not Support the State’s Enforcement of Liberal Autonomy: A Response to Crowder.” Political Theory, vol. 37, no. 1 (February 2009), pp. 154-160.
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"Are Traditional Catholics Defective Citizens?" Josephinum Journal of Theology, vol. 16, no. 2 (2009), pp. 379-393.
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“A Rawlsian Argument Against the Duty of Civility.” American Journal of Political Science, vol. 50, no. 3 (July 2006), pp. 676-690.
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“Can a Good Person be a Lawyer?” Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy, vol. 20, no. 1 (2006), pp. 313-334.
Book Chapters
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“An Ethical Case for Bottom-Up, Polycentric Governance in a Complex Society.” In Polycentric Governance and the Good Society: A Normative and Philosophical Investigation. Co-edited by David Thunder and Pablo Paniagua. Forthcoming with Lexington Books.
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"Associational Life and Liberty: A Critical Interpretation of Tocqueville’s Democracy in America.” In Culture, Secularisation and Democracy: Lessons from Alexis de Tocqueville. Edited by Hans-Martien ten Napel and Sophie van Bijsterveld. Forthcoming with Routledge.
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“Imagining a Post-Sovereign Polity as a Realistic Utopia.” In Rethinking Democracy for Post-Utopian Worlds. Alternative Political Projects After the Sovereign State. Edited by Julia Urabayen and Jorge León Casero. Forthcoming with Springer.
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“The ‘Neighbourhood as a Pivotal Element of the Infrastructure of a Flourishing Society.” In Happiness and Domestic Life: The Influence of the Home on Subjective and Social Wellbeing (New York: Routledge, 2022). With Ana Cecilia Serrano-Núñez.
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“Overcoming the Myth of the Sovereign, Self-Governing People.” In Engaging Authority: Citizenship and Political Community, ed. Trevor Stack & Rose Luminiello. (London: Rowman & Littlefield International, 2022). pp. 125-146.
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“From Polis to Metropolis: On the Limits of Classical Approaches to Governance in a Fragmented Social Landscape.” In Disciplines of the City: New Forms of Governance in Today’s Postmetropolises, ed. Julia Urabayen & Jorge León Casero (New York: Nova Science Publishers, 2019), pp. 3-31.
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“The Place of Conscience-Based Exemptions in the Struggle Against Injustice.” In Contemporary Challenges to Conscience: Legal & Ethical Frameworks for Professional Conduct, ed. Alexander Stepkowski (Peter Lang, 2019). Click here for order information.
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​​“What is the Use of an Ethical Theory of Citizenship?” In The Ethics of Citizenship in the 21st Century, ed. David Thunder. Springer, 2017, pp. 3-12.
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“An Ethical Defense of Citizenship.” In The Ethics of Citizenship in the 21st Century, ed. David Thunder. Springer, 2017, pp. 85-104.
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“Managing the Social and Moral Costs of a Culture of Choice.” In Margaret S. Archer sobre Cultura y Socialización en la Modernidad Tardía [Margaret S. Archer on Culture and Socialization in Late Modernity]. Eunsa, 2015.
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“Public Reason and Abortion Revisited.” In Persons, Moral Worth, and Embryos: A Critical Analysis of Pro-Choice Arguments, ed. Stephen Napier. Springer, 2011, pp. 239-254.
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​“Can the Political Priority of Liberty be Squared with the Ethical Priority of Flourishing?” In Reading Rasmussen and Den Uyl: Critical Essays on Norms of Liberty, ed. Aeon J. Skoble. Lexington Books, 2008, pp. 27-39.
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“Public Discourse Without God? Moral Disposition in Democratic Deliberation.” In Ethics Without God? The Divine in Contemporary Moral and Political Thought, ed. Fulvio Di Blasi, Joshua P. Hochschild, and Jeffrey Langan. St. Augustine Press, 2007, pp. 49-64.
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Fulvio de Blasi. God and the Natural Law: A Rereading of Thomas Aquinas. Translated (from Italian) by David Thunder. St. Augustine Press, 2006.
Media Contributions
Please find below a few samples of my media contributions. I have written dozens of op eds for newspapers like The Irish Times and El Mundo, as well as online media like Spiked, Gript, Mercatornet, The Conversation, and The Clingendael Spectator.
Op Eds
Youtube Row Raises Serious Questions on Censorship by Tech Giants
Irish Times, 22nd July 2019
"If we do not find a way to decentralise content-moderating functions and separate them from commercial incentives, then the prejudices of a handful of tech giants and their staff will determine which opinions get aired and debated on social media, and which do not."
Europe's New Digital Wallet: Guarantor of Digital Security or Backdoor to Tyranny?
Mercatornet, 16th November 2023
"It would be highly naive to assume that a programmable Europe-wide digital ID, controlled by a centralised bureaucracy would not, sooner or later, be exploited to “nudge” (or shove) people into complying with the policies that happen to be favoured by the “powers that be”.
Is the Pandemic Turning the West into China?
Clingendael Spectator, 29th September 2021
"The Covid-19 pandemic is a 'stress test' for Western democracies. According to political philosopher David Thunder, the West is failing this test as the dividing line between Chinese collectivism and European individualism has begun to blur."
Interviews
The Case Against the Sovereign State: In Conversation with David Thunder
The Governance Podcast (King's College London), 17th February 2020
David Thunder (University of Navarra) argues that many modern political theorists, from Hobbes to Rawls, overstate the importance of state sovereignty. He envisions an alternative, polycentric form of social organisation that can support one’s freedom to flourish. Tune in for his argument in this episode of the Governance Podcast led by Billy Christmas (King’s College London).
The Truth Behind Ireland's Riots
Redacted, 29th November 2023
What's the truth behind the explosion of violence in Dubln, Ireland over the past few days? Academic Researcher David Thunder joins us to talk about Ireland's devastating immigration policies and lax policing which led us to the recent spate of violence.
Has France Criminalised Medical Debate?
Pandemic Podcast, 17th March 2024
Is France silencing free speech in healthcare? A controversial new law criminalises "inciting" someone to receive or reject medical treatments. We talk to David Thunder about the chilling effect this could have on open discourse, scientific debate, and personal choice in healthcare.
The Rise of Soft Despotism in the West
Epoch Times, 30th November 2023
Alexis de Tocqueville, in his masterpiece Democracy in America, predicted that modern governments, in promising citizens comfort and security, could become what he called "soft despots." In this clip from my interview with the Epoch Times, I discuss this concept and its relevance to modern democracy.
The Freedom Blog
In The Freedom Blog, I offer independent analysis of issues that affect the fate of freedom in the West. Please find below a few sample posts to whet your appetite!
Why Attempting to Purge the Web of "Misinformation" and "Disinformation" Is a Fool's Errand
"In the real, non-ideal world of mediocre and shallow thinkers, cowards, selfish careerists, and the occasional scoundrel, political and scientific censorship never works out in the way envisaged by its public advocates. In the non-ideal world of imperfect knowledge and corruptible character, censorship is just as likely to frustrate the pursuit of truth as to facilitate it."
Nine Reasons Governments Must Reject Proposed Amendments to International Health Regulations
"This is an organisation that has already shown its regressive, inhumane and anti-scientific colours during and after the Covid pandemic, including failing to warn citizens about the incompleteness of safety data for mRNA vaccines, warmly praising China’s cruel and draconian lockdowns, and enthusiastically supporting a global bio-surveillance regime modelled on the EU's digital Covid certificate."
Irish Government's Attempt to Redefine the Family Backfires, Spectacularly
"In light of the government’s dramatic policy failures in housing, healthcare and immigration, the resounding “No” vote that echoed up and down the country was not just a rejection of these constitutional amendments: it was also a clear vote of no confidence in Ireland’s political Establishment."
President von der Leyen's WEF Speech Shows She Will Never Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste
"She could have used her unique position of leadership to underline the true nature of the threat of disinformation, which is a threat coming from all directions - not just from malicious private actors, but from governments that run “information” campaigns designed to harness people’s primal instincts, most notably fear and solidarity, in support of their preferred policies."
It's Time To Give Power Back to the People. But How?
"There is no way to completely guarantee that people will always be taken seriously by their representatives. However, you can greatly reduce the risks of domination and alienation by introducing decentralising reforms, to bring centres of power and decision-making closer to the people."