Philip Shadd specializes in contemporary social & political philosophy, with areas of competence including political theology and philosophy of law. His doctoral research, completed in 2013, examined the issue of political legitimacy by comparing a leading secular account of legitimacy, political liberalism, with one drawn from Christianity's Reformed tradition of social thought. Related to this research, Dr. Shadd has recently published work in Critical Review: A Journal of Politics and Society and has authored an article forthcoming in Public Reason: Journal of Political and Moral Philosophy. His current research focuses on the issue of institutional rights, and explores whether a truly principled, as opposed to pragmatic, basis exists for such rights. In this research he is largely inspired by the Dutch neo-Calvinist and Reformational traditions, and by their notion of sphere sovereignty; and at the same time he seeks to draw insights from, and remain in dialogue with, mainstream political theory.

Philip and his wife, Jessica, have two young children. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, participating in church life, and following all things sport.

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