Selina Chen's Homepage
University of Oxford, Nuffield College, Oxford, OX1 1NF, United Kingdom
Tel: 01865 278500, Fax: 01865 278621
email: selina.chen@nuffield.ox.ac.uk

Welcome to my homepage. I recently received my doctorate in political theory from the University of Oxford (June 1996) and I am currently a research assistant at Nuffield College, Oxford.

My dissertation topic is the idea of liberal toleration in the thought of John Locke and John Rawls, and defends the idea that a stable liberal society requires a conception of citizenship which people with different comprehensive beliefs about the good can accept and make part of their moral personality in a way which fosters a strong sense of justice. (abstract available on request) This will be making an appearance as a book entitled "On Liberal Toleration" in the near future.
My primary research interests are in contemporary political theory and 17th century political thought, specifically, on foundational issues in liberal justification and psychology, multiculturalism and diversity, political obligation, distributive justice and global justice. I am also interested in international relations theory, electoral studies and comparative judicial systems.
I am at present interested in assessing new normative approaches to justifying human rights which can bridge what I consider to be a wide gap between theory and practice in human rights, and I shall be exploring empirical issues related to women's rights and attitude change towards traditional value systems.
    Education:
BA (hons), MA Politics University of Western Ontario, Canada, DPhil, Oxford.
    Teaching Experience:
Stipendiary Lecturer, Pembroke College and various other Oxford Colleges. Teaching Assistant, UWO, Canada.
I teach Oxford undergraduates the main political theory paper in the Philosophy, Politics and Economics course, and many visiting American junior-year students. I have also taught a course on political ideologies to mature students with little previous experience of formal education, which was both challenging and rewarding.
    Papers:
Normative consensus and human rights (presented to Nuffield College Political Theory Workshop 1996)
Rawls on stability and citizenship (presented to Wolfson Philosophical Society, Wolfson College Oxford, 1996, now awaiting publication)
John Locke's arguments for toleration: political not theological (version of paper presented at APSA 1995 reworked and submitted for publication)
John Locke's theory of freedom: the relationship between the Two Treatises, the Essay Concerning Human Understanding, and the Letter Concerning Toleration (presented to Faculty Seminar, University of Exeter, 1995)
Charles Taylor and Quebec's politics of recognition (presented to Canadian Studies Seminar, Oxford, 1993)
Abstracts or copies of any of these will be happily sent out if you email me at selina.chen@nuffield.ox.ac.uk
Referees you can contact
Dr. Mark Philp, Oriel College, Oxford.
Lord Raymond Plant, St. Catherine's College, Oxford.
Mr. David Lloyd Thomas, King's College, London