Graham M Smith

I am a political theorist with a special interest in friendship and how this relates to our understanding of 'the political'. More generally, I have interests spanning from the Ancients to post-modernity. My approach to political thought is both open and broad and this allows me to connect its themes and problems to allied fields such as International Relations, Philosophy, and Religion.

My research focuses on the notion of friendship and how this relates to our understanding of the political. I understand friendship to be a concern with the bonds between person and person. These bonds can be located and conceptualised in a variety of ways but they provide the basic fabric upon which the political is woven. I understand the political to indicate a domain of order and value constructed by persons who must negotiate their mutual dependency and freedom.

I am the co-editor of the online, peer-reviewed, open-access journal AMITY: The Journal of Friendship Studies

Qualifications
BA Hons Political and Religious Thought (University of Lancaster)
MA Philosophy (University of Sheffield)
Ph.D. Political Theory (University of Lancaster)