David Lay Williams
Education
Courses
Ancient & Medieval Political Theory, Modern
Political Theory, Contemporary Political Theory, Introduction to
Political Theory, 17th & 18th Century Philosophy, Ancient Greek
Philosophy, Philosophy of Law, The Enlightenment: American &
European, Rousseau, Plato's Republic, From Rousseau to Foucault,
Early Modern German Political Thought, Late Modern German
Political Thought, Social & Political Philosophy, Constitutional
Interpretation, Constitutional Law, Introduction to American
Politics, Judicial Process
About
David Lay Williams is Associate Professor of Political Science
and Philosophy. He received his PhD from the University of
Texas at Austin in 1999 and began teaching at UWSP in 2000. He
teaches and conducts research in the history of political
thought. His book, Rousseau’s Platonic Enlightenment,
was published in 2007 by the Pennsylvania State University
Press, and he has essays published or forthcoming in The
Journal of Politics, The American Journal of Political
Science, Critical Review, Telos, Polity, The Journal of the
History of Ideas, and The History of Political Thought.
In 2003-04 and 2008-09, he held research fellowships at the
University of Wisconsin—Madison’s Institute for Research in the
Humanities. He is presently working on three books: 1)
Rousseau's 'Social Contract': An Introduction (under
contract with Cambridge University Press), 2) a monograph on
deception in Western political thought, and 3) a co-edited
volume (with James Farr) on the general will. Williams holds a
dual appointment with the Department of Philosophy, where he
teaches courses on the history of philosophy and jurisprudence.
Read reviews of David's book
Rousseau's Platonic Enlightenment in
Choice and the
Notre Dame Philosophical Review.
See Professor Williams' website:
http://www.uwsp.edu/philosophy/html files/Personal
Files/Williams.htm