Samuel Burry

Samuel Burry is a DPhil (PhD) student in Politics at Oxford. Prior to Oxford, he completed an MPhil in Political Thought and Intellectual History and a BA in History and Politics at Cambridge, where he graduated with a starred first (first-class honours with distinction) and was awarded the University’s History and Politics Prize for the best overall performance in his cohort.  

Sam is a historian of political thought and primarily works on the history of American and African American political thought. His research has been published in Perspectives on Politics, Modern Intellectual History, and The American Journal of Jurisprudence.  

Sam’s current research focuses on the political and legal thought of Derrick Bell and his influence on African American political thought. He has also published articles on topics such as the intellectual development of liberal theories of judicial decision-making, how American political and legal theorists have drawn on “ordinary language philosophy,” and Thomas Paine’s and Thomas Jefferson’s thought on the relations between generations.
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His other research interests include American legal history and American political development (APD). He is also part of the editorial team for Anthroposphere: The Oxford Climate Review. His doctoral research is fully funded by Oxford’s Rothermere American Institute.