Zachary Bennett

Zachary Bennett is a Research Associate in the Department of Political Science at Michigan State University. He studies and teaches the history of political philosophy, especially the thought of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. His recently completed dissertation, which is currently being revised for publication as a book, is a comprehensive and detailed interpretation of Rousseau’s various writings on civic education. It contributes to our understanding of Rousseau’s conceptions of education and human nature; social, moral, and religious psychology; and the limits and possibilities of republican citizenship, both in general and in modernity in particular. Additionally, it clarifies the challenge that Rousseau’s thought poses to contemporary liberal-democratic political practice. Bennett holds a Ph.D. in Government from the University of Texas at Austin and a B.A. in Political Science from Davidson College.