Alex Haskins

Biography

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 implications such grappling might have for global justice, international law, development, multiculturalism, and global missions. 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).

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: Domination in the Political Thought of Montesquieu, Fukuzawa, and Du Bois (Rowman & Littlefield/Bloomsbury, 2024/2025)

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)
Forgiveness and Political Reconciliation (IR 359)
Immigration (PSCI 328)
Political Philosophy (PSCI 145)
Politics of Global Development (IR 315)
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

Dr. Haskins' website

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