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Staff Profile

Professor Ian O'Flynn

Professor of Political Theory

  • Telephone: +44 (0) 191 2087507
  • Address: Room 4.13
    Henry Daysh Building
    Newcastle University
    NE1 7RU
Background

About


I have been at Newcastle University since 2004. 

 

My main research interest is in the theory of deliberative democracy – a theory which stresses the idea that collective decisions should be collectively justifiable. On a deliberative view, what matters is not that people talk and argue with one another, but that they genuinely attempt to discuss with one another, seeking out reasons and considerations that are in principle acceptable to all. Much of my work has sought to apply these ideas to the reform of power sharing institutions in deeply divided societies. My books include Deliberative Democracy and Divided Societies (Edinburgh University Press, 2006), Deliberative Democracy (Polity, 2021) and (with Ron Levy and Hoi Kong) Deliberative Peace Referendums (Oxford University Press, 2021). I have also published on topics such as the public interest, shared intentions, referendums, veto rights and compromise. I am currently working on a paper (with John Dryzek and Jensen Sass) on the topic of democratic resilience, and on a project (funded by the European Commission under its Horizon scheme) on deliberative democracy and sustainable climate transitions.

 

I have held visiting positions at, among others, the Australian National University, Durham University, Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania. I am a former President of the Association for Social and Political Philosophy and a former Co-Convenor of the Political Studies Association's Specialist Group in Participatory and Deliberative Democracy. I have served as Editor of the ECPR Press and Associate Editor of Political Research Exchange. I am an Associate at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance in the Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis, University of Canberra.

 

Although my work is primarily theoretical, I have conducted projects on behalf of public sector organisations such as the NHS and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. These projects have been featured by, among others, the BBC, the Financial Times and the New York Times. 

 

Funding for my work, including international collaborations, has come from bodies such as The Atlantic Philanthropies, the Australian Research Council, the British Academy, the European Commission, the ESRC, and the Swiss National Science Foundation. 


I am a former Consortium Director of Northern Bridge, an AHRC-funded doctoral training partnership, former Chair of the Board of Examiners for Politics, and former Degree Programme Director for the undergraduate degree programme in Politics and Economics.

 

I hold a BMus (Music), BA (English and Philosophy) and MA (Philosophy) from University College Cork, and a PhD (Political Theory) from The Queen’s University of Belfast. I am a former ESRC Post-doctoral Fellow at the University of Essex where I was mentored by Prof. Albert Weale. 


I was born in Cork, Ireland, in 1967, and I’m married with two wonderful children (and a fairly annoying dog).

 

 Qualifications


PhD (2002) Queen's University, Belfast.

MA (1998) University College, Cork

BA (1996) University College, Cork

BMus (1988) University College, Cork

Research

Research Interests

My main research interest is in the theory of deliberative democracy. I am also interested in topics such as compromise, power sharing and referendums.

 

 

 


Teaching

I am currently on research leave.


Publications