Great Books in Political Thought and Constitutionalism (Assistant Professor)

University of Texas at Austin; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Texas at Austin invites applications for a full-time tenure-track Assistant Professor in Great Books, with a focus on political thought and constitutionalism. The appointment is primarily in the School of Civic Leadership with potential affiliate work in the Thomas Jefferson Center.

Teaching will blend the School's discussion-based Great Books curriculum with the University's core curriculum, across multiple disciplines and seminars.

Qualifications

• We seek outstanding candidates with a Ph.D. in a field related to the Great Books whose pedagogy and scholarship address freedom in its multiple senses: economic, political, and intellectual.
• We are especially interested in work in political thought from antiquity to the present.
• Candidates should demonstrate strong teaching and scholarly potential across disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Teach in the School's Great Books curriculum and in the University's core curriculum.
• Lead seminars and discussion sections with emphasis on textual analysis.
• Collaborate across disciplines and with the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Study of Core Texts and Ideas.

Skills

Teaching

Scholarly research

Textual analysis

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Education

Ph.D. in related field

Job description

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 forthe Study of Core Texts and Ideas and supported by the NationalEndowment for the Humanities, invites applications for full-timetenure-track faculty positions at the assistant professor level inthe Great Books, with a field in political thought andconstitutionalism. Successful candidates' primary appointments willbe in the School of Civic Leadership, with affiliations in theThomas Jefferson Center. The possibility of partial appointments inthe disciplinary department may also be explored. Appointments willbegin in Fall 2027.

Successful candidates will combine teaching in the School'sdiscussion-based Great Books curriculum, with teaching in theUniversity's core curriculum. Courses are conducted as smallseminars and discussion sections in which students engage directlywith foundational, wisdom-seeking works in and between a range ofdisciplines: political thought, philosophy, literature, religiousstudies, history, and the liberal arts broadly. Instructionemphasizes careful textual analysis, sustained inquiry intoenduring questions, and thoughtful conversation among students andfaculty.

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

Building on its Civics Honors major, the School will launch a GreatBooks major in Fall 2027 in partnership with the Thomas JeffersonCenter for the Study of Core Texts and Ideas. The School is alsodeveloping an interdisciplinary PhD program in Civic Thought.

Housed in the College of Liberal Arts, the Thomas Jefferson Centeradvances the close study of foundational texts through itsJefferson Scholars Program, Core Texts and Ideas Certificate, andCivic Thought Initiative. Its programs encourage students toexamine their beliefs, broaden their understanding of others, andengage in thoughtful, respectful dialogue.

Qualifications

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

We are especially interested in work in the history of politicalthought 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 (forexample, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, TheFederalist, and the Lincoln-Douglas debates); together with thebroader tradition of American political thought, read in light ofenduring questions of political life and human nature.

More broadly, we are interested in work that inquires intoexpressions of Western civilization that have become central to theAmerican civic experience:

• The roots of the West in Athens and Jerusalem;
• Roman law;
• American letters;
• Works of literature, art, architecture, music, andscience;
• Reflections on politics and civic life; and
• Moral reflection.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

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