Dr. Bryan Garsten

Biography

Bryan Garsten is a Professor in the Department of Political Science at Yale University and serves as the Faculty Director of the Center for Civic Thought. He is the author of the award-winning book 'Saving Persuasion: Defense Rhetoric Judgment,' which explores the history of political thought and rhetoric, delving into how politics and persuasion intersect. His recent research investigates fundamental tensions between theory and the practice of representative government and constitutional democracy, drawing reflections from classical thinkers like Aristotle, Hobbes, Montesquieu, Rousseau, and Marx. Garsten has been actively involved in promoting liberal education, having coordinated the creation of the core curriculum for Yale-NUS College in Singapore and contributing significantly to American public discourse through various outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and others. He co-founded the Citizens Thinkers Writers program aimed at engaging high school students in New Haven, as well as the Civic Thought Initiative, which began in 2019. Garsten's public writing emphasizes the importance of civic education, and he has served on national forums to discuss liberal education's future.

Research Interests