Great Books in Political Thought and Constitutionalism (Assistant Professor)

Great Books in Political Thought and Constitutionalism
(Assistant Professor)

College/School/Unit: School of Civic Leadership

Department:

Posted: Oct 26, 2026

Apply By: Open until filled

Description

The School of Civic Leadership at The University of Texas at Austin
(UT Austin), in partnership with the Thomas Jefferson Center for
the Study of Core Texts and Ideas and supported by the National
Endowment for the Humanities, invites applications for full-time
tenure-track faculty positions at the assistant professor level in
the Great Books, with a field in political thought and
constitutionalism. Successful candidates' primary appointments will
be in the School of Civic Leadership, with affiliations in the
Thomas Jefferson Center. The possibility of partial appointments in
the disciplinary department may also be explored. Appointments will
begin in Fall 2027.

Successful candidates will combine teaching in the School's
discussion-based Great Books curriculum, with teaching in the
University's core curriculum. Courses are conducted as small
seminars and discussion sections in which students engage directly
with foundational, wisdom-seeking works in and between a range of
disciplines: political thought, philosophy, literature, religious
studies, history, and the liberal arts broadly. Instruction
emphasizes careful textual analysis, sustained inquiry into
enduring questions, and thoughtful conversation among students and
faculty.

The School of Civic Leadership is a new interdisciplinary school at
UT Austin dedicated to preparing students for leadership in a free
society. Its dual mission is to equip students with the knowledge
and aptitudes necessary to lead the public and private institutions
of a free society, and to produce academic research at the highest
levels of scholarly excellence.

Building on its Civics Honors major, the School will launch a Great
Books major in Fall 2027 in partnership with the Thomas Jefferson
Center for the Study of Core Texts and Ideas. The School is also
developing an interdisciplinary PhD program in Civic Thought.

Housed in the College of Liberal Arts, the Thomas Jefferson Center
advances the close study of foundational texts through its
Jefferson Scholars Program, Core Texts and Ideas Certificate, and
Civic Thought Initiative. Its programs encourage students to
examine their beliefs, broaden their understanding of others, and
engage in thoughtful, respectful dialogue.

Qualifications

We seek outstanding candidates with a Ph.D. in a field related to
the Great Books whose pedagogy and scholarship speak to the School
of Civic Leadership's core mission of educating citizens for
freedom in its multiple senses: economic, political, and
intellectual.

We are especially interested in work in the history of political
thought from antiquity to the present:

• The founders of ancient and modern political philosophy;
• The medieval traditions of political thought;
• The Renaissance and early modernity;
• Critiques of modernity; and
• The essential documents of American constitutionalism (for

example, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, The
Federalist, and the Lincoln-Douglas debates); together with the
broader tradition of American political thought, read in light of
enduring questions of political life and human nature.

More broadly, we are interested in work that inquires into
expressions of Western civilization that have become central to the
American civic experience:

• The roots of the West in Athens and Jerusalem;
• Roman law;
• American letters;
• Works of literature, art, architecture, music, and

science;

• Reflections on politics and civic life; and
• Moral reflection.

Application Instructions

The School of Civic Leadership and the Thomas Jefferson Center for
the Study of Core Texts and Ideas invite applicants to
submit:

• A cover letter;
• Curriculum vitae; and
• The names of three recommenders; letters will be requested at a

later stage.

Cover letters should:

• Give a brief overview of the candidate's research agenda;
• Highlight areas of teaching competence; and
• Concisely describe how the candidate would contribute to

developing the School of Civic Leadership and the study of the
Great Books at the University of Texas.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal
opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all
applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and
affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of
equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the
basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex,
sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability,
religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and
activities, and admissions.

To apply, visit https://faculty.utexas.edu/career/195026

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