Welcome to my webpage! I am a pragmatist philosopher and political theorist. I am primarily interested in how the realm of ideas (spanning philosophy, politics and science) influence our ability to act effectively/ineffectively– as individuals and collectively as societies– to meet the practical predicaments of the 21st century. My official academic title is the Sir Edward Peacock Professor of Political Theory in the Department of Political Studies at Queen’s University. I am also cross-appointed with the Department of Philosophy and I occasionally teach in the School of Policy Studies.
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** Click here for my research on aging and geroscience ***
I received all of my formal University education (e.g. BA, MA and PhD) in philosophy, have been teaching in political science departments the past 25+ years, and regularly publish my research in journals in science and medicine. This unconventional career trajectory is a reflection of my somewhat bohemian intellectual interests and penchant for intellectual risk-taking.
My research interests are interdisciplinary and integrate insights from normative theory (e.g. political theory and bioethics) with empirical insights from a variety of scientific disciplines, such as evolutionary biology, genetics, medicine, demography, psychology, and biogerontology/geroscience. The integration of these often distinct domains of “facts” and “norms” is what excites my intellectual curiosity the most. This typically takes me off the beaten track of the topics traditionally examined by political theorists, but I believe science and science policy constitute the most significant areas of knowledge and public policy in the 21st century. So it is an exciting time for political theorists and philosophers to explore these topics. It is also imperative that students in the social sciences and humanities develop some level of scientific-literacy and critical thinking if we hope to meet the pressing societal challenges of the 21st century. There are significant cultural and psychological factors that impede the development and refinement of these “epistemic virtues”. To inspire my students to take seriously the development of their own intellect I try my best to emulate the epistemic virtues of curiosity, attention to the facts, intellectual humility, and adaptive thinking in both my teaching and research.
This site contains information about my academic career and research interests.
My CV is available here. PubMed entries here.
TedX Queen’s Talk on Global Aging and Longevity Science:
CFRC interview:
Central question which preoccupies most of my research and life: How should we live?
If you are looking for my blog “In Search of Enlightenment” please click here.
(Istanbul 2023)
Bio
Before coming to Queen’s University in 2008 I was Associate Professor of Political Science (Cross-Appointed with Philosophy) at Waterloo University for 5 years. I also spent a year as a Research Fellow in the Dept of Politics and International Relations at Oxford University and as a Visitor in Oxford’s Program on the Ethics of the New Biosciences, and a semester as Visiting Professor at UCLA’s Dept. of Public Policy. In the Fall term of 2018 I was the Fulbright Visiting Research Chair in the Social Sciences at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. And I spent the winter 2023 term as a Visiting Professor teaching in the Philosophy Department of Bilkent University in Ankara Türkiye.
In the more distant past, I held full-time academic appointments in the Dept of Government at Manchester University, the Dept of Political Science and International Studies at Birmingham University and the Dept of Philosophy at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.
In terms of hobbies and other interests, I am the organizer of the Philosophy Meetup (Kingston), which brings local Kingstonians together in pubs and parks to discuss and debate issues in ethics, science, psychology and politics. I also run a social support meetup group for men. A few years ago I started taking improv lessons and performing in local amateur theatre for murder mystery dinning events. These creative theatre activities have had a transformative impact on me.
In the summer months I play in a beach volleyball league. And I have had to good fortune to enjoy a lifetime of weight training and running, physical activities I consider life-long medications for my mental and physical health. When I was a teen I became enamored with the “Golden Era” of bodybuilding (my idols were Arnold and Franco), an interest that has helped sustain my passion for weight training for 40+ years.
For me cooking is also one of life’s most fulfilling simple pleasures. Had I not succeeded in academia I would have gravitated towards a career in the culinary arts because cooking is a “flow” activity for me. If I ever retire, or semi-retire, from academia the first thing I intend to do is enlist in culinary classes!
I am also a die hard fan of the 1970s TV show Columbo and the 1980/90s Granada series of Sherlock Holmes (staring Jeremy Brett, the best Holmes ever). And I intentionally try to live a life that is minimally distracted by the persistent noise of social media. I believe the life of a scholar requires intentional and sustained focus, humility, and open-mindedness, activities/intellectual traits the ecosystem of social media likely erodes.
I have 3 kids that are all grown up now, but I have a lovely Teddy Roosevelt terrier named “Moe” (below) who keeps me company at home.
Ankara, Türkiye
Colin Farrelly 