Dr Aggie Hirst
Lecturer in US Foreign Policy; Director MA International Relations
I joined POLIS in 2011 as Lecturer in US Foreign Policy, after completing my PhD in International Politics at the University of Manchester in 2010. My research interests are situated at the intersection between critical International Relations theory, specifically Continental thought and the political philosophy of Leo Strauss, and post-9/11 US foreign policy. Prior to my appointment in POLIS, I lectured for a year at Liverpool Hope University. I also hold the position of Director of MA International Relations at Leeds.
Research Interests
I am currently editing a book manuscript based on my PhD thesis, which explores the relationship between the political philosophy of Leo Strauss and the activities of a group of influential Straussians within and close to George W. Bush administration during the period leading up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It traces a series of distinctive features of Strauss' thought through the interventions of eight Straussians in the fields of intelligence production, think tanks and the media.
In addition, I am also developing a research project exploring the relationship between violence and recreation. This research investigates the ways in which forms of violence reside at the heart of many entertainment and leisure activities which contribute to the production and reproduction of ideas and identities in contemporary Western society.
Teaching
Semester one
- PIED5405 – American Foreign Policy (MA)
- PIED3402 – American Foreign Policy (Level 3)
Semester two
- PIED2555 – International Organisations and World Order (Level 2)
Key Publications
Books
- Encountering the Abyss: Leo Strauss, the Straussians and the Invasion of Iraq, Routledge, forthcoming.
Journal Articles
- ‘Leo Strauss and International Relations: The Politics of Modernity’s Abyss’ International Politics, forthcoming 2012.
Book Chapters
- ‘Straussianism and Post-Structuralism: Two Sides of the Same Coin?’ in Tony Burns and James Connelly (eds.) The Legacy of Leo Strauss (Exeter; Charlottesville: Imprint Academic, 2010)
- ‘Intellectuals and US Foreign Policy,’ in Inderjeet Parmar, Linda B. Millar and Mark Ledwidge (eds.), New Directions in US Foreign Policy (Abingdon; New York: Routledge, 2009)
Contact Details
- Room: SSB 13.04
- Tel: 0113 343 9205
- Email: a.a.hirst@leeds.ac.uk
- Office hours: Term time: Monday 12pm-1:30pm and Friday 10:30am-12pm