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Biography
"Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations." - Revelation 22:1-2
Born in Okinawa, but a native of St. Louis, Dr. Haskins first discovered the field of political theory in college. His teaching and research interests in the field have been sustained over the years by a deeply felt need to grapple with the complex histories of imperialism, colonialism, and Christianity in the modern world--particularly in Africa and Asia--and what healing implications such struggles might have for global justice, international law, economic development, religious pluralism, and regional peacebuilding. He is currently working on two book-length intellectual histories: one on the Pan African Conference/Congresses (1900-2024) and one on the Non-Aligned Movement (1955-2024).
Né à Okinawa, mais originaire de Saint-Louis, le Dr Haskins a découvert la théorie politique à l'université. Son intérêt pour l'enseignement et la recherche dans ce domaine a été nourri au fil des ans par un profond besoin d'appréhender les histoires complexes de l'impérialisme, du colonialisme et du christianisme dans le monde moderne, notamment en Afrique et en Asie, et les implications thérapeutiques que ces luttes pourraient avoir pour la justice mondiale, le droit international, le développement économique, le pluralisme religieux et la consolidation de la paix régionale. Il travaille actuellement à deux ouvrages sur l'histoire intellectuelle : l'un sur la Conférence/les Congrès panafricains (1900-2024) et l'autre sur le Mouvement des non-alignés (1955-2024).
Education
The University of Chicago
Ph.D., Political Science, 2020
M.A., Political Science, 2015
Harvard University
M.T.S., Religion, Ethics and Politics and East Asian Religions, 2013
Bowdoin College
B.A., Government & Legal Studies and Asian Studies, 2011
Areas of Expertise
- History of Political Thought (Asian, European, and African diasporic)
- Modern Political Thought
- Global and Comparative Political Theory
- Imperialism & Colonialism
- International Law & Legal Thought
- Religion & Politics
Professional Affiliations
- American Political Science Association (APSA)
- Association for Political Theory (APT)
- Association for the Study of the Worldwide African Diaspora (ASWAD)
- Association for Asian Studies (AAS)
Publications
Book
-
An Appeal to the World: Creolizing Domination in the Political Thought of Montesquieu, Fukuzawa, and Du Bois (Rowman & Littlefield/Bloomsbury, 2024)
Articles
- Alex Haskins, “Leaders Fit for the Masses”: Du Bois and Japan’s Transnational Democratic Leadership,” Du Bois Review 21.1 (Spring 2024): 182-200. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742058X23000127
- Alex Haskins, "Montesquieu's Paradoxical Spirit of Moderation: on the Making of Asian Despotism in De l'esprit des lois," Political Theory 46.6 (December 2018): 915-937. https://doi.org/10.1177/0090591718780215
Reviews
- Review of W. E. B. Du Bois, Ethiopianism, and Black Internationalism: A New Interpretation of the Global Color Line by Ras Wayne A. Rose, H-Diplo (November 2024). https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=60902
- Review of Montesquieu: Let There Be Enlightenment by Catherine Volpilhac-Auger and translated by Philip Stewart, Perspectives on Politics 21.4 (December 2023). https://doi.org/10.1017/S1537592723002074
- Review of Handbook of Confucianism in Modern Japan edited by Shaun O’Dwyer, Journal of Confucian Philosophy and Culture 40 (August 2023). https://doi.org/10.22916/jcpc.2023..40.203
Working Manuscripts
- Blessed are the Peacemakers: The Pan-African Conference & Congresses, 1900-2024
- Aligning Interests: An Intellectual History of the Bandung Conference and NAM, 1955-2024
Working Papers
- “One Love” – The Politics of Collective Liberation for Black and Chinese Jamaicans in Hills of Hebron
- “The New and Grand Career of Justice” – Frederick Douglass, Chinese Immigration, and Imperial Temptations
- Toward a Buddhist Christianity – The Swamp, Priests, and Political Persecution in Shūsaku Endō’s Silence
Courses
Note: for course syllabi, see my personal website (under the "links" tab).
(Regular Rotation)
- African Politics (IR 346)
- Black Political Thought (PSCI 324)
- East Meets West (IR 364)
- Environmental Politics (IR 318)
- First Year Seminar: Resistance and the Good Life (CORE 101)
- Immigration (PSCI 328)
- Political Philosophy (PSCI 145)
- Politics of Global Development (IR 315)
- Politics of Trauma, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation (IR 359)
- Senior Seminar (PSCI 494)
(Irregular Rotation or In Reserve)
- China Through the Ages
- Empire
- International Law
- Politics of the African Diaspora
- Politics of the Caribbean
- Spirit of the Laws
- W.E.B. Du Bois
Links
Favorites
- Food: BBQ/Southern, Jamaican, Korean, Mexican
- Media: anime/manga, fighting games, K-dramas, Marvel cinema
- Music: R&B/Soul, Jazz, Chillhop/Lo-Fi, Reggaeton
- Sports: Tennis, Ping-pong, Swimming, Baseball
- Teas: jasmine, mint, oolong, lemon