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Gianni Sarra

Gianni Sarra

PhD candidate

Research interests

  • Economics

Biography

Gianni graduated from King’s College London in 2016 with a BA in Politics of the International Economy and from University College London in 2017 with an MA in Legal and Political Theory. He is a recipient of an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) London Interdisciplinary Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership studentship award.

His PhD research is situated within the framework of the dirty hands dilemma, more specifically on the ethical decisions political actors are faced with in situations where they consider the norms and rules of the political structure they work within unjust.

A common example is a politician who considers the current campaign finance system in their polity unjust. They may believe there is something inherently wrong about utilising such an unjust structure in order to get ahead, but political advancement, which they are pursuing for just causes, may be very difficult, if not impossible, without such engagement. The existing literature on how to respond to this increasingly common aspect of political life is, in many areas, sadly lacking, a deficiency the research wishes to help fill.

Office hours

Thursday: 14.00 - 15.00 (location varies, please e-mail me for details)

Friday: 13.00 - 14.00 (Bush House SE 1.04)

Doctoral research

The Dirty Rules Dilemma: Achieving Justice in Conditions of Corruption

Research interests

  • Dirty hands dilemmas
  • Democratic theory
  • Liberalism and republicanism
  • Ethics of campaigning, legislating and coalition-building
  • Ideal and non-ideal political theory

Research

Tower_Bridge_Sunset_HERO
Political Theory Research Group

The political theory group covers many topics and approaches, and affirms the central importance of political economy to political theory.

Research

Tower_Bridge_Sunset_HERO
Political Theory Research Group

The political theory group covers many topics and approaches, and affirms the central importance of political economy to political theory.