Islamic Law Beyond Fiqh

In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, scholars, activists, and politicians have engaged in profound debates about the nature of Islamic governance and its relevance to contemporary justice. While many discussions focus on the roots of governance in early Islam, they are often shaped by a primarily fiqh-centric perspective, which emphasises jurisprudence and tradition while neglecting the political and legal realities of the time.

Oxford Conservative Thought Reading Group (Week 6: Liberty)

The Oxford Conservative Thought (OCT) Reading Group is a non-partisan group devoted to academic exploration of small-c conservative political thought. We welcome, and actively encourage, viewpoint diversity and constructive engagement across ideological divides (all good-willed participants are welcome!)

Each week we read one assigned text, and we recommend more for anyone who is very keen!

The OCT meets weekly in term time on Fridays from 4-5:30pm.

Week 6 explores conservative views on liberty, with a reading from Edward Feser.

Contesting Pluralism(s): Islamism, Liberalism and Nationalism in Turkey and Beyond

As the liberal international order weakens, anti-pluralist leaders and movements seek to capture states & societies. At the same time, more (and less) vigorous coalitions for open societies are challenging the global anti-pluralist turn. This pattern involves multiple actors, norms, pressures and processes which can and should be compared to better understand this acute global challenge.

Nicolas Oisin Kennedy Baleztena

My name is Oisin Kennedy-Baleztena, and I am completing the MSc in Political Theory Research as a member of Wadham College. I specialise in conservative political thought, with particular focus on the theoretical foundations behind the contemporary resurgence of right-of-centre ideologies. My research contrasts moderate, liberal Conservatism with Reactionism, reformulating the former—what I term “Wilful Conservatism”—by imbuing it with the dynamism needed to respond to radical political change, thereby positioning it as the more sophisticated alternative.

Anorexia nervosa in Japan today: different from 19th century England and 18th century Kyoto?

Warning: this seminar will contain discussions of eating disorders.

Eating disorders are commonly regarded as a ‘modern’ and ‘slimmers’ disease’. This is a misperception. Case reports are reported from19th century Europe. The first mention of the condition was made in a lecture by physician Dr. William Gull in Oxford in 1868. In Japan, the Kyoto physician Dr. Shutoku Kagawa wrote about non-eating illness in 1788. What do these classic cases tell us about the interaction between the biological and societal factors of this illness?

Oxford Conservative Thought Reading Group (Week 5: The State)

The Oxford Conservative Thought (OCT) Reading Group is a non-partisan group devoted to academic exploration of small-c conservative political thought. We welcome, and actively encourage, viewpoint diversity and constructive engagement across ideological divides (all good-willed participants are welcome!)

Each week we read one assigned text, and we recommend more for anyone who is very keen!

The OCT meets weekly in term time on Fridays from 4-5:30pm.
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