Dr. Christian Chambers

Biography

Christian "Chris" Chambers is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania. His research and teaching interests lie in the fields of history of political thought, political economy, and Black social political thought. Chambers explores twentieth-century Continental philosophy, with a focus on existentialism, phenomenology, and critical theory. His current work examines the degrading and dehumanizing effects of poverty and the paradoxical perspectives of regulating, uplifting, and empowering the poor through various political lenses. He also investigates the writings and biographical encounters with Richard Wright to re-evaluate post-War attempts at imagining freedom and agency through the intersection of existentialist, Marxist, and post-colonial thought. Chambers has published or has forthcoming works in Polity, Global Intellectual History, and Tocqueville21. He is eager to advise students who share similar interests in historical political theory, race, and political economy. In addition to his academic pursuits, Chambers has a passion for music, particularly as an active DJ and hip-hop enthusiast, and enjoys living in West Philly with his partner and their cats.

Research Interests

Courses