Hamilton Center
Visiting Faculty Fellow
Email: brooks.sommervil@ufl.edu
Brooks Sommerville specializes in ancient moral philosophy and has professional competence in early modern philosophy. He received an MSc (first class honours) in the history of philosophy from the University of Edinburgh and has a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Toronto’s Collaborative Specialization in Ancient and Medieval Philosophy. A primary focus of his scholarship is the concept of happiness in ancient Greek thought. Building on this research, his current project explores the relationship between sophistry and democratic political theory in Plato’s Protagoras. On this reading, the dialogue expresses a more favorable view of democracy than commentators have often supposed, and thus represents a significant contrast with the well-known anti-democratic position Plato airs in the Republic. Dr. Sommerville is also developing an interpretation of Republic IX, which draws on recent work in value theory to level a novel objection against Plato’s defense of justice. He has held scholarly positions at the University of British Columbia, the University of Pennsylvania, Haverford College, Colgate University, and McGill University. His scholarly articles have appeared in Phronesis, Ancient Philosophy, Classical Quarterly, and Philosophical Writings. He has also published in Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews.
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