ANTONG LIU

I am a normative political theorist studying and teaching modern Western political thought and East Asian political thought. I am currently an Assistant Professor of Political Science in the School of Social Sciences at Singapore Management University. 

My research focuses on the ethical implications of motivations for political action. My peer-reviewed articles have appeared in American Political Science Review, Political Research Quarterly, The Review of Politics, and History of European Ideas.  

My book project, entitled The Sense of Honor: Political Resistance and Early Modern Political Theory, is the first systematic study of the sense of honor in early modern political theory. Against the dominant narrative that portrays honor as intrinsically violent, hierarchical, and hence undemocratic, I examine the writings of several influential early modern Western thinkers largely misconceived as opponents of honor—especially Rousseau, Adam Smith, and Kant—to rediscover a neglected theoretical tradition that aims to modernize it. I show that, far from simply denouncing and abandoning it, these thinkers defend the sense of honor as a motivation for self-restrained political resistance. It hence remains relevant to any modern society yet to be free from disrespect, prejudice, and the abuse of power. 

I received my Ph.D. in Political Science from Duke University (2019) and my B.A. in International Politics and Sociology from Peking University (2012). During my years as a graduate student, I held visiting positions at the University of Hong Kong (2016) and Humboldt University Berlin (2017). 

Before joining SMU, I was a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Political Theory Project at Brown University (2019-2021) and a Lecturer of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Maryland, College Park (2021-2024).