Education
Ph.D., University of Maryland
M.A., University of Maryland
J.D., 极乐禁地 School of Law
B.A., Dickinson College
I am a graduate of Dickinson College (BA in Politcal Science, Minor in Philosophy), the 极乐禁地 School of Law (JD), and the University of Maryland College Park (PhD in Philosophy). After practicing law for four years I chose to leace the law and pursue an academic career. My dissertation was on the moral nature of humanitarian intervention. Since earning my doctorate I have published numerous articles on global justice, political philosophy and international political theory. I have also published a book, "Rwanda and the Moral Obligation of Humanitarian Intervention", with Edinburgh University Press (2012). My current research is focused on human rights and state sovereignty.
Political Philosophy, Ethics, Global Justice, International Political Theory
Ethics, Applied Ethics, Political Philosophy, Global Justice, International Political Theory, Philosophy of Law
Books
Kassner, J. J. (2024). A New Philosophy of Human Rights. Lexington Books.
Kassner, J. J. (2021). Climate Change and Sovereignty: An Essay on the Moral Limits of State Sovereignty in a Globalized World. Springer. 200.
Book Chapters
Kassner, J. J. (2024). Legitimacy and the Global Order.
Kassner, J. J. (2024). Truth Matters: Factual Accuracy, Theoretic Rationality, and the Legitimacy of Political Decision-Making. Springer.
Kassner, J. J. (2023). Mortimer N. S. Sellers.
Kassner, J. J. (2023). Sellers, Mortimer. Springer Netherlands. 3239-3242.
Kassner, J. J. (2023). Truth Matters: Factual Accuracy, Theoretic Rationality, and the Legitimacy of Political Decision-Making.. Springer.
Kassner, J. J. (2023). International Borders, Immigration, and Non-Domination.. Routledge.
Newspaper
Kassner, J. J. (2021). 鈥淏LM Protesters are the real American patriots.鈥�. 极乐禁地e Sun.
Kassner, J. J. Association for Social and Political Philosophy Annual Conference, "In Defense of an Epistemic Account of Political Legitimacy," Association for Social and Political Philosophy, Swansea University (UK). (2024).
Kassner, J. J. Philosophy, Politics and Economics Society Annual Meeting, "In Defense of an Epistemic Account of Political Legitimacy," Philosophy, Politics and Economics, New Orleans. (2024).
Kassner, J. J. Lecture / Durham University, (2023).
Kassner, J. J. Lecture / Western Connecticut State University, ""Ignorance, Injustice, and Responsibility"," (2023).
Kassner, J. J. AMINTAPHIL Annual Conference, "Truth Matters Factual Accuracy, Theoretic Rationality, and the Legitimacy of Political Decision-Making," AMINTAPHIL, Virtual. (2023).
Kassner, J. J. Core to Core Project - Workshop, "International Borders, Immigration, and Non-Domination," Kobe University, Marburg Germany. (2022).
Kassner, J. J. Association of Applied and Professional Ethics Annual Conference, ""Post-Truth Politics and Democratic Legitimacy"," Association of Applied and Professional Ethics, Cincinnati. (2022).
Kassner, J. J. Association of Applied and Professional Ethics Annual Conference, "鈥淎 Deliberative account of Human Rights鈥�," Association of Applied and Professional Ethics, Cincinnati. (2022).
Kassner, J. J. Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Society Annual Conference, "鈥淎 Deliberative account of Human Rights鈥�," Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Society, New Orleans. (2022).
Kassner, J. J. Core to Core Project Virtual Symposium, "鈥淏orders and Non-Domination: Assessing the Moral Legitimacy of International Borders鈥�," Core to Core Project (Kobe University), Virtual / Zoom. (2021).
"A Deliberative Account of Human Rights" (Writing Results)
Forthcoming (2024) to be published by Lexington Books
"A Deliberative Account of Human Rights" (Writing Results)
A Deliberative Account of Human Rights
Chapter 1: Introduction (7000-8000 Words)
In this introductory chapter, I will accomplish numerous tasks. First and foremost, it will include an introduction to the central inquiry and an overview of the argument that will follow. In addition, however, it will also provide a brief discussion of the underlying motivation for the project and a discussion of the project鈥檚 theoretical and practical importance.
Chapter 2: Methodological Discussion (6000-7000 Words)
This will be a relatively brief chapter, in which I will lay the methodological and conceptual groundwork for the discussion that follows. For example, in this chapter I will discuss why I am pursuing non-ideal theory and what that, in this particular instance, means. I will also seek to distinguish this approach to understanding human rights from others that might, at least at first glance, appear to be similar.
Chapter 3: The Classicist Position: Understanding and Critique (10000-11000 Words)
In this chapter, I will discuss numerous paradigmatic accounts of, what I refer to as, the classical position on human rights. From this discussion, I will draw common elements that define an account as classical. Finally, I will offer a discussion of the methodological, conceptual and moral flaws of such accounts.
Chapter 4: The Positivist Position: Understanding and Critique (10000-11000 Words)
This chapter will take the same form as the previous chapter with one addition. Namely, the chapter begins with a brief discussion of the current dialectical relationship (or lack thereof) between those adopting a positivist point of view and those advocating for a classical understanding of human rights norms and practice.
Chapter 5: Debate and Dilemma (6000-7000 Words)
In this chapter, I will explain how the current debate has arisen and why it is framed as a dilemma. This is not merely a matter of tracing the historical development of the discussion. Rather, it is offers a deconstruction of the underlying commitments and implicit assumptions being made by positivists and classicists alike. And, then explains how this has led to a belief that these views exhaust the conceptual landscape and leave us 鈥� in light of the flaws of both accounts 鈥� facing a dilemma.
Chapter 6: A Deliberative Account of Human Rights (10000-11000 Words)
This chapter is being conceived of as a single chapter but may need to be divided into two. It contains the central affirmative argument of the book. First, it points out that we are only faced with a dilemma if certain assumptions and commitments identified in the previous chapter are true. The most important being that there are no viable alternatives to either the positivist or classicist points of view. Second, I offer an alternative deliberative account of human rights. Third, and finally, to avoid a potential trilemma, I argue that the deliberative account I offer is decisively preferable to the other two.
Chapter 7: Conclusion: Transition from Theory to Practice (8000-9000 Words)
As noted, the arguments and analyses contained in this book will have practical implications. In an effort to connect theory to practice, in concluding the discussion, I will not simply summarize the conceptual discussion and its implications. Instead, I will also offer some suggestions for institutional design and reform.
Total: 57000 to 64000 Words
"An Epistemic Account of the Role of the Public in Legitimate Health and Policy Decision-Making" (Writing Results)
"Contractualist Defense of Universal Human Rights" (On-Going)
Article
"Encyclopedia of Global Justice, 2nd Edition" (On-Going)
I am the associate editor.
"Ignorance, Injustice and Responsibility" (Writing Results)
"Ignorance, Injustice and Responsibility" (On-Going)
Article on ignorance as an excuse
"IVR Encyclopedia for Legal and Social Philosophy"
I am the managing editor.
"Legitimacy and the Global Order" (Writing Results)
Forthcoming (2024) in Oxford Handbook of Republicanism
"Post-Truth Politics and the Threat to Democratic Legitimacy" (Writing Results)
"Post-Truth Politics, Theoretic Rationality, Factual Accuracy, Democratic Legitimacy" (Writing Results)
Under revision for Journal of Political Philosophy
"Truth Matters: Factual Accuracy, Theoretic Rationality, and the Legitimacy of Political Decision-Making" (Writing Results)
Forthcoming (2024) in AMINTAPHIL: The Philosophical Foundations of Law and Justice
"Truth Matters: The Importance of Political Epistemology in the Information Age" (On-Going)