The Department of Government (FAS) at Harvard University will host its annual conference for graduate students in political theory and political philosophy on October 26–27, 2012. Papers on any theme or topic within political theory — from the history of political thought to contemporary normative and conceptual theory — will be considered. Between seven and twelve papers will be accepted.
Submissions are due via email in PDF form by August 15, 2012. Papers will be refereed by current Harvard graduate students, and acceptance notices will be sent by early September. Please limit each submission to 7500 words (about 20 double-spaced pages). Each submission should include two PDF files: one with the paper formatted for blind review (free of personal and institutional information), and the other including a cover page with the title of the paper, an abstract (250 words max.), and your name, email address, and institutional affiliation.
The keynote speaker will be Professor Bernard Yack, of Brandeis University. Professor Yack will be speaking on “The Moral Value of Community: And the Moral Problem with Nationalism”.
Conference presentations should last no longer than 20 minutes. Each presentation will be accompanied by comments from a Harvard graduate student. Presenters will have a chance to answer questions during a general discussion period after the presentation.
Food and housing will be provided by the Government Department and its graduate students. Unfortunately, Harvard will not be able to provide funds for transportation.
Questions, comments, and submissions should be sent to
For more information, please visit the conference Web site at
