Rate My Professor Robert Lamb

Professor Robert Lamb is Professor of Political Philosophy and Head of the Department of Politics in the School of Social and Political Sciences, Philosophy, and Anthropology at the University of Exeter. He obtained his PhD from the University of Exeter in 2006 and has served on the faculty there since that time, advancing through positions including Lecturer and Associate Professor to his current role. Lamb has undertaken visiting fellowships at the Center for British Studies at UC Berkeley (Autumn 2007), the Centre for Ethics, Philosophy and Public Affairs at the University of St Andrews (Spring 2010), and the Institute for Democracy and Human Rights at the University of Sydney (Spring 2013). He is Co-Director of the University of Exeter's Centre for Political Thought and Chair of the Executive Committee of the British and Irish Association for Political Thought (BIAPT).

Lamb's academic interests encompass the history of political ideas, contemporary political theory, and philosophical approaches to interpreting political texts. His research focuses on the modern liberal tradition from the eighteenth century onward, examining key concepts such as human rights, property, equality, and freedom in the works of thinkers including John Locke, Thomas Paine, William Godwin, John Rawls, and Richard Rorty. His ongoing projects explore the notion of political hope. Lamb authored Thomas Paine and the Idea of Human Rights (Cambridge University Press, 2015) and Property (Polity, 2020), and co-edited Selected Political Writings of John Thelwall (Pickering & Chatto, 2009). His peer-reviewed articles appear in prominent journals such as History of Political Thought, Journal of the History of Ideas, The Review of Politics, The Journal of Politics, Law and Philosophy, and Review of International Studies. Significant publications include "Quentin Skinner's revised historical contextualism: a critique" (Philosophy & Social Criticism, 2009), "The meaning of charity in Locke's political thought" (European Journal of Political Theory, 2009), "Was William Godwin a Utilitarian?" (History of Political Thought, 2009), and "Pragmatism, practices, and human rights" (Review of International Studies, 2019). Lamb contributes to his field through leadership in academic associations, supervision of PhD students, and delivery of seminars and public lectures.