About Dr Callum Barrell
Dr Barrell joined Northeastern University London in September 2016 as Assistant Professor in Politics and International Relations, having taught here as Visiting Lecturer. He is now Associate Professor of Political Thought, lecturing on the history of political philosophy; contemporary international political theory; and green political and anthropogenic thought. He has twice served as Acting Head of Faculty and currently serves as the Faculty’s Senior Tutor and Postgraduate Coordinator. He teaches on three undergraduate (Modern Political Thought; International Relations: Theory and Practice; Dissertation) and two postgraduate courses (Green Political Thought; Dissertation).
His recent book, History and Historiography in Classical Utilitarianism, 1800-1865 (Cambridge University Press) intellectually resituates the utilitarians as philosophers and political thinkers who engaged deeply with the past, at a time when history acquired new significances as both a means and object of study.
Prior to joining Northeastern University London, Dr Barrell was a Senior Teaching Assistant in the School of History at Queen Mary University of London, where he taught on two courses: ‘The History of Western Political Thought from Thucydides to Marx’ and ‘History in Practice’.
Dr Barrell undertook a PhD at Queen Mary University, under the supervision of Professors Georgios Varouxakis and Gareth Stedman Jones. Prior to that, he studied for a BA in History and an MPhil in Political Thought and Intellectual History at the University of Cambridge, where, under the supervision of Professor Paul Cartledge, he developed a keen interest in ancient Greek philosophy and political thought.
Qualifications
PhD in History of Political Thought, Queen Mary University of London (2015)
MPhil in Political Thought and Intellectual History, University of Cambridge (2011)
BA in History, University of Cambridge (2010)
email: callum.barrell@nchlondon.ac.uk
website: www.callumbarrell.com
Dr Callum Barrell's Research
Dr Barrell’s research lies at the intersection between the history of philosophy and the history of political thought. He is especially interested in the philosophy of history; dialogues between philosophy and politics in contemporary international relations (IR) and IR theory; and environmental political and philosophical thought. His current work seeks to connect the nineteenth century to contemporary philosophy and political theory, with a particular focus on the Anthropocene, critical posthumanism, neo-materialism, and philosophy of history.
Recent Publications
History and Historiography in Classical Utilitarianism 1800-1865 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2021).
Dr Callum Barrell's Teaching
Prior to joining Northeastern University London Dr Barrell was a Senior Teaching Assistant in the School of History at Queen Mary University of London, where he taught on two courses, ‘The History of Western Political Thought from Thucydides to Marx’ (2012-2015) and ‘History in Practice’ (2014-2015).
Professional Activity
Dr Barrell currently leads and teaches on Foundations of Western Political Thought (Level 4); Green Political Thought (L6 and L7); and the Politics Dissertation. He also teaches on Research Methods (L7) and the Extended Dissertation (L7). From January 2024, he will also supervise PhD projects in his area of expertise.
10 March 2018 – ‘J.S. Mill on Universal History and the Logic of Progress’ (paper delivered to the Seminar in Political Thought and Intellectual History at Trinity College, Cambridge)
28 January 2018 – ‘J.S. Mill on Universal History’ (paper delivered to a conference on ‘Narratives of Progress’ at Christ Church, Oxford)