Sam Schmitt holds a PhD in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill specializing in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). Beginning July 2025, he will serve as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Brown University’s Center for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. Sam’s research combines normative philosophy with a deep understanding of institutions and diverse perspectives to examine questions at the intersection of contemporary political theory, religion, and political economy.

Sam is currently working on a book entitled Market Society, Open Society? Contemporary Protestant and Catholic Critiques of Market-Oriented Liberalism. The project uses Protestant and Catholic criticisms to identify weaknesses in the liberal defense of market society as an open society. Liberal theory has analyzed religious objections to state power but has overlooked many recent religious objections to the liberal market. Looking closely at these objections grants insight on toleration, environmentalism, collective association, the formation of oneself, and the justification of the social order.

Before coming to Brown University, Sam completed a Master of Arts in Philosophy at Bowling Green State University followed by a PhD in political science at UNC. At UNC, Sam published in Economics and Philosophy on the importance of character for stable political institutions, in PS: Political Science and Politics on political science pedagogy, and received the prestigious Tanner Award for teaching as a graduate student. You can read more about his teaching here.

When he isn’t writing or teaching, you can find Sam enjoying music, poetry, and philosophy with others or trying (and failing) to run a 10k a little faster or bench a bit heavier.

Contact: samuel_schmitt[at]brown[dot]edu