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Prof Chris Thornhill

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Professor of European Political Thought (Politics)

telephone: 0141 330 5076
email: Christopher.Thornhill@glasgow.ac.uk

Office Hours: Monday 9.30am-10.30am

Biography

Chris Thornhill came to Politics at Glasgow in January 2006, having previously held positions at the University of Sussex and King's College London. During the earlier part of his career he worked primarily on the history of legal and political philosophy, especially in Germany, and he has written several books and a number of articles on these subjects. Since he arrived at Glasgow, most of his research has focused on processes of state formation and constitutionalization in different European societies. In this field, he has written a substantial amount of historical/theoretical research on statehood, constitutionalization, and the social and legal preconditions of political legitimacy. This includes his recent monograph: A Sociology of Constitutions (2011). His research is underpinned by a theoretical interest in the relations between sociological, philosophical and historical methodologies in the contemporary social sciences, and the theoretical dimension of his work is focused on the attempt to reconcile the methods of sociology and political theory. He also has a strong (although critical) interest in the works of Niklas Luhmann, on whom he has published quite extensively. In some of his more recent writings he has attempted to utilize the paradigms of Luhmann's theory of society to illuminate questions of legal formation and political legitimation.

Research Interests

Political theory and political sociology
Theories of legality and legitimacy
Constitutionalism
Hegel, Marx and Critical Theory
Fascism and its theories
State formation and the law

Jump to: 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000

Number of items: 49.

2012

Thornhill, C. (2012) Guilt and the origins of modern law. Economy and Society . ISSN 0308-5147 (In Press)

Thornhill, C. (2012) Humanism and wars: Karl Jaspers between politics, culture and law. In: Wautischer, H., Olson, A.M. and Walters , G.J. (eds.) Philosophical Faith and the Future of Humanity. Springer Verlag, pp. 299-318. ISBN 9789400722224

Thornhill, C. (2012) Introduction: Luhmann and philosophy. Revue Internationale de Philosophie, 258 . pp. 5-7. ISSN 0048-8143

Thornhill, C. (2012) Legal pluralism: the many books on Europe's many constitutions. Social and Legal Studies . ISSN 0964-6639 (In Press)

Thornhill, C. (2012) Niklas Luhmann y la sociología de la constitución. In: Cadenas, H., Mascareño, A. and Urquiza, A. (eds.) Niklas Luhmann y el legado universalista de su teoría: Aportes para el análisis de la complejidad social contemporánea. RIL Editores, Ediciones Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile, pp. 119-151.

Thornhill, C. (2012) Sociological Enlightenments and the sociology of political philosophy. Revue Internationale de Philosophie, 258 . pp. 55-83. ISSN 0048-8143

Thornhill, C. (2012) Verfassung und politische Macht jenseits des Staates. Zeitschrift für Rechtssoziologie . ISSN 0174-0202 (In Press)

Thornhill, Chris (2012) The Formation of a European Constitutions: An Approach from Historical-Political Sociology. International Journal of Law in Context . ISSN 1744-5531 (In Press)

Thornhill, Chris (2012) Luhmann and Marx: Social Theory and Social Freedom. In: La Cour, A. and Philippopoulos-Mihalopoulos, A. (eds.) Luhmann Observed: Radical Theoretical Encounters. Palgrave, Basingstoke.

2011

Teubner, G., Lindahl, H., Christodoulidis, E. , and Thornhill, C. (2011) Debate and dialogue: constitutionalizing polycontexturality. Social and Legal Studies, 20 (2). pp. 209-252. ISSN 0964-6639 (doi:10.1177/0964663911400245)

Thornhill, C. (2011) Constitutional law from the perspective of power: A response to Gunther Teubner. Social and Legal Studies, 20 (2). pp. 244-247. ISSN 0964-6639 (doi:10.1177/0964663911400245)

Thornhill, C. (2011) Political legitimacy: a theoretical approach between facts and norms. Constellations: An International Journal of Critical and Democratic Theory, 18 (2). pp. 135-169. ISSN 1351-0487 (doi:10.1111/j.1467-8675.2011.00632.x)

Thornhill, C. (2011) A Sociology of Constitutions: Constitutions and State Legitimacy in Historical-sociological Perspective. Series: Cambridge Studies in Law and Society . Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. ISBN 9780521116213

Thornhill, C. (2011) Hegelianism and the politics of contingency. In: Moggach, D. (ed.) Politics, Religion, and Art: Hegelian Debates. Series: Northwestern University topics in historical philosophy . Northwestern University Press, Evanston, Ill, USA, pp. 118-146. ISBN 9780810127296

Thornhill, C. (2011) Review of 'Foundations of Public Law' by Martin Loughlin. Public Law, Autumn . pp. 651-657. ISSN 0033-3565

Thornhill, C. (2011) The future of the state. In: Kjaer, P.F., Teubner, G. and Febbrajo, A. (eds.) Financial Crisis in Constitutional Perspective: The Dark Side of Functional Differentiation. Series: International studies in the theory of private law (9). Hart, Oxford, UK, pp. 357-393. ISBN 9781841130101

2010

Thornhill, C. (2010) Legality, legitimacy and the form of political power: on the construction of a false antinomy. Journal of Power, 3 (3). pp. 293-315. ISSN 1754-0291 (doi:10.1080/17540291.2010.524791)

Thornhill, C. (2010) Re-conceiving rights revolutions: the persistence of a sociological deficit in theories of rights’. Zeitschrift für Rechtssoziologie/ German Journal of Law and Society, 31 (2). pp. 9-39. ISSN 0174-0202

Ashenden, S. and Thornhill, C., (Eds.) (2010) Legality and Legitimacy: Normative and Sociological Approaches. Series: Studien zur Politischen Soziologie. Nomos, Baden-Baden. ISBN 9783832953546

Anderson, Gavin (2010) Post-colonial legality and legitimacy: the challenge of indigenous peoples. In: Thornhill, Christopher and Ashenden, S (eds.) Legality and Legitimacy: Normative and Sociological Approaches. Nomos , Baden-Baden, 235 -253. ISBN 978-3-8329-5354-6.

Thornhill, C. (2010) Carl Schmitt and early Western Marxism. In: Schrift, A. (ed.) History of Continental Philosophy. Acumen, Durham, pp. 19-45. ISBN 9781844652198

Thornhill, C. (2010) Comparative state building. In: Kurian, G.T. (ed.) Encyclopedia of Political Science. CQ Press, Washington DC, USA. ISBN 9781933116440

Thornhill, C. (2010) Fascist parties. In: Kurian , G.T. (ed.) Encyclopedia of Political Science. CQ Press, Washington DC, USA. ISBN 9781933116440

Thornhill, C. (2010) Introduction: legality and legitimacy – between political theory and theoretical sociolo. In: Thornhill, C. and Ashenden, S. (eds.) Legality and Legitimacy: Normative and Sociological Approaches. Series: Studien zur Politischen Soziologie (6). Nomos, Baden-Baden, pp. 7-18. ISBN 9783832953546

Thornhill, C. (2010) Legality, legitimacy and the constitution: a historical-functionalist approach. In: Thornhill, C. and Ashenden , S. (eds.) Legality and Legitimacy: Normative and Sociological Approaches. Series: Studien zur Politicshen Soziologie (6). Nomos, Baden-Baden, pp. 29-56. ISBN 9783832953546

Thornhill, C. (2010) Niklas Luhmann and the sociology of the constitution. Journal of Classical Sociology, 10 (4). pp. 315-337. ISSN 1468-795X (doi:10.1177/1468795X10385181)

2009

Thornhill, C. (2009) The autonomy of the political: A socio-theoretical response. Philosophy & Social Criticism, 35 (6). pp. 705-735. ISSN 0191-4537 (doi:10.1177/0191453709104454)

2008

Seitzer, J., and Thornhill, C. (2008) An introduction to Carl Schmitt's constitutional theory: Issues and context. In: Seitzer, J. (ed.) Carl Schmitt: Constitutional Theory. Duke University Press, pp. 1-50. ISBN 9780822340119

Thornhill, C. (2008) Niklas Luhmann and the law: new perspectives. King's Law Journal, 19 (1). pp. 195-203. ISSN 0961-5768

Thornhill, C. (2008) On norms as social facts: a view from historical political science. Soziale Systeme. Zeitschrift fur soziologische Theorie, 14 (1). pp. 47-67. ISSN 0948-423X

Thornhill, C. (2008) Towards a historical sociology of constitutional legitimacy. Theory and Society, 37 (2). pp. 161-197. ISSN 0304-2421 (doi:10.1007/s11186-007-9048-7)

2007

Thornhill, C. (2007) German Political Philosophy: The Metaphysics of Law (Chinese translation 2009; Japanese translation 2011). Series: Routledge studies in social and political thought, 49 . Routledge, London. ISBN 9780203966402

Thornhill, C (2007) Niklas Luhmann, Carl Schmitt and the Modern Form of the Political. European Journal of Social Theory, 10 (4). pp. 499-522. (doi:10.1177/1368431007075966)

Thornhill, C. (2007) Berlin: the untrusted centre of the law. In: Philippopoulos-Mihalopoulos, A. (ed.) Law and the City. Routledge, New York, USA, pp. 23-37. ISBN 1904385540

2006

Thornhill, C. (2006) Karl Jaspers. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy . ISSN 1095-5054

King, M. and Thornhill, C., (Eds.) (2006) Luhmann on law and politics: Critical appraisals and applications. Hart, Oxford. ISBN 1841136239

Thornhill, C (2006) The Holy Roman Empire and the Law. German History, 24 (1). pp. 111-117. (doi:10.1191/0266355406gh366ra)

Thornhill, C (2006) Niklas Luhmann: A Sociological Transformation of Political Legitimacy? Distinktion: Scandinavian Journal of Social Theory, 13 . pp. 33-53.

Thornhill, C.J. (2006) Luhmann's political theory: politics after metaphysics? In: King, M. and Thornhill, C.J. (eds.) Luhmann on Law and Politics: Critical Appraisals and Applications. Hart, Oxford, UK, pp. 75-100. ISBN 9781841136233

2005

Thornhill, C (2005) Karl Jaspers and Theodor W. Adorno: the metaphysics of the human. History of European Ideas, 31 (1). pp. 61-84. (doi:10.1016/j.histeuroideas.2004.09.)

Thornhill, C. (2005) Religion and law in early critical theory. In: Kohlenbach, M. and Geuss, R. (eds.) Early Frankfurt School and Religion. Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, UK, pp. 103-127. ISBN 9781403935571