The Honors Program Presents Dr. Patrick Hassan: “Imperialist and Anti-Imperialist Dynamics in the Context of Iranian Liberation” (2:15PM, April 2, Zoom)
Dr. Patrick Hassan
The Honors Program Presents:
Patrick Hassan, Ph.D.
2:15PM-3:30PM, Thursday, April 2. Register here to attend via Zoom.
“Imperialist and Anti-Imperialist Dynamics in the Context of Iranian Liberation”
Talk Description: “Iran has a long history of foreign interference in its domestic affairs. Arguably, this context of foreign interference has been the primary force shaping how the ruling body of Islamic Republic of Iran purportedly conceives of itself and its governing principles, namely: as the sole entity capable of upholding Iran's national sovereignty in the face of foreign (i.e. Western) domination. From a realist perspective, this talk explores how the Islamic Republic's projected anti-imperialist stance—something increasingly repeated by some portions of the Western Left—might be best understood and evaluated in light of its demonstrated practical aims, and especially the means it has frequently taken in pursuit of those aims (e.g. severe domestic repression; proxy warfare). By doing so, I aim to shed light on two broader philosophical themes potentially instructive beyond the Iranian case: (a) how and why hawkish or liberal-interventionist strategies can be self-undermining; (b) how and why ideological ‘camp’ thinking and selective solidarity can produce dangerous double standards among otherwise well-meaning anti-imperialists.”
Speaker Bio: Patrick Hassan is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at Cardiff University, UK. He specializes in 18th and 19th century European philosophy and ethics, and has also written widely in aesthetics, political philosophy and environmental philosophy. He is the author of Nietzsche's Struggle against Pessimism (Cambridge University Press, 2023) and the editor of Schopenhauer's Moral Philosophy (Routledge, 2021). Hassan has also co-authored a number of public-facing articles on Iranian geopolitics and domestic issues.
