Dr. Timothy O Leary

Biography

Timothy O’Leary is a philosopher who has studied in Ireland, Paris, Hong Kong, and Australia. His research focuses on contemporary European philosophy and literary studies, particularly the works of Michel Foucault and Jacques Rancière. O’Leary has authored two monographs and co-edited three volumes, in addition to guest-editing two journal special issues and publishing numerous journal articles and book chapters. His research encompasses themes of ethics and aesthetics, the ethical dimensions of literature, and philosophical approaches to happiness. Recent publications include an essay titled 'Fiction’s Critique: Gray’s Poor Things and Conduct Sensibility' in Textual Practice, as well as an article on Jacques Rancière, Virginia Woolf, and Annie Ernaux in the Journal Modern Literature, scheduled for 2024. In 2022, he published a co-edited collection entitled 'The Ends of Critique: Methods, Institutions, Politics' with Rowman & Littlefield. He has been actively engaged in research at UNSW since 2018, serving as Head of the School of Humanities & Languages and co-Convenor of the UNSW research group Critique. O’Leary has extensive teaching experience, having taught philosophy for 17 years at the University of Hong Kong, where he also held the positions of Associate Dean of Arts and Head of the School of Humanities, and was an elected member of the HKU Council.

Research Interests