Patrick Nitzschner

Political Science

Research and Areas of Interest

Critical Theory, Democratic Theory, Global Political Thought, Historical International Relations

Current research

Patrick’s current research lies at the intersections of critical theories and democratic political thought. His dissertation project reconstructs the history of the idea of defending democracy and its contemporary actualizations with the aim of developing pathways towards a critical retheorization. This retheorization seeks to salvage the emancipatory potentials of liberal democracy while retaining the possibility of radical transformation. Patrick has previously worked on Frankfurt School critical theory, post-positivism as an anti-traditionalist tradition in IR, and the concept of Europe in Historical International Relations. His further interests include notions of criticality in epistemology and methodology in Political Science. 

Ongoing projects

Populism and Democratic Defence in Europe
https://ps.au.dk/en/research/research-projects/populism-and-democratic-defence-in-europe/