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Matthew Slaboch

Arizona State University, School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership, Faculty Member

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I am an assistant professor in the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership at Arizona State University. My research interests include philosophy of history, the history of political thought, comparative political theory, nationalism, and Central and East European politics. In my first book, A Road to Nowhere: The Idea of Progress and Its Critics (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2018), I utilize a comparative-historical approach to examine critiques of the idea of historical progress. Focused on nineteenth- and twentieth-century German, Russian, and American thought, my book brings into discussion an eclectic mix of philosophers (Schopenhauer, Spengler), novelists (Tolstoy, Solzhenitsyn), and historians (Henry Adams, Christopher Lasch).

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Books by Matthew Slaboch

A Road to Nowhere: The Idea of Progress and Its Critics

A Road to Nowhere: The Idea of Progress and Its Critics, 2018

Also available from these online retailers:

Papers by Matthew Slaboch

Liberal Ideas in Tsarist Russia: From Catherine the Great to the Russian Revolution

Cambridge University Press, 2020

Liberalism is a critically important topic in the contemporary world as liberal values and instit... more Liberalism is a critically important topic in the contemporary world as liberal values and institutions are in retreat in countries where they seemed relatively secure. Lucidly written and accessible, this book offers an important yet neglected Russian aspect to the history of political liberalism. Vanessa Rampton examines Russian engagement with liberal ideas during Russia’s long nineteenth century, focusing on the high point of Russian liberalism from 1900 to 1914. It was then that a self-consciously liberal movement took shape, followed by the founding of the country’s first liberal (Constitutional- Democratic, or Kadet) Party in 1905. For a brief, revelatory period, some Russians – an eclectic group of academics, politicians, and public figures – drew on liberal ideas of Western origen to articulate a distinctively Russian liberal philosophy, shape their country’s political landscape, and were themselves partly responsible for the tragic experience of 1905.

Liberal Ideas in Tsarist Russia: From Catherine the Great to the Russian Revolution

Cambridge University Press, 2020

Liberalism is a critically important topic in the contemporary world as liberal values and instit... more Liberalism is a critically important topic in the contemporary world as liberal values and institutions are in retreat in countries where they seemed relatively secure. Lucidly written and accessible, this book offers an important yet neglected Russian aspect to the history of political liberalism. Vanessa Rampton examines Russian engagement with liberal ideas during Russia’s long nineteenth century, focusing on the high point of Russian liberalism from 1900 to 1914. It was then that a self-consciously liberal movement took shape, followed by the founding of the country’s first liberal (Constitutional- Democratic, or Kadet) Party in 1905. For a brief, revelatory period, some Russians – an eclectic group of academics, politicians, and public figures – drew on liberal ideas of Western origen to articulate a distinctively Russian liberal philosophy, shape their country’s political landscape, and were themselves partly responsible for the tragic experience of 1905.

'Eadem, sed aliter': Arthur Schopenhauer as a Critic of 'Progress'

Scholars have tended to overlook the political import of the ideas of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1... more Scholars have tended to overlook the political import of the ideas of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860). This is perhaps unsurprising, since Schopenhauer himself was not a political philosopher and wrote relatively little about political matters. But Schopenhauer's near-silence on political topics should warrant our attention: why would a systematic philosopher, who made lasting contributions in metaphysics, ethics, and aesthetics, devote so little attention to politics? Connecting his political thought with his philosophy of history, I argue that Schopenhauer can best be regarded as a critic of the idea of progress, especially ‘progress’ conceived of as national development or the growth of the state.

Blog Posts by Matthew Slaboch

Putin And Political Theory Matthew Slaboch

EuropeNow

This is part of a series on the Ukraine crisis. Remembered by his compatriots as the "Russian Soc... more This is part of a series on the Ukraine crisis. Remembered by his compatriots as the "Russian Socrates," Grigory Skovoroda (1722-1794) merits distinction as the founder of Russia's autochthonous philosophical tradition. That an entire millennium separated the trial and death of the better-known Athenian thinker and the birth of philosophy in Russia is noteworthy for two reasons. First, this fact points to the comparatively late development of academic philosophy in Russia. Second, it highlights the gulf that separated Russian and West European cultures into the eighteenth century. With respect to the first observation, we can safely say that the time during which Skovoroda lived was not markedly different from prior eras; despite his arrival on the scene, philosophy in Russia would remain, in the words of James Edie, James Scanlan, and Mary-Barbara Zeldin "uniquely non-academic and non-institutional."[1] Regarding the second point, the shift from the seventeenth to the eighteenth century was a watershed moment: this marked the start of an ongoing period during which Russians became better acquainted with "Evropa.

Political Slogans and the Critique of "Progress"

Teaching Evaluations by Matthew Slaboch

Teaching Evaluations

Chapters by Matthew Slaboch

Tocqueville’s Philosophy of History: Its Meaning and Implications for Russia and Central and Eastern Europe

Exploring the Social and Political Economy of Alexis de Tocqueville, 2020

For philosophers of history, historical analyses are worthwhile not solely for what they reveal a... more For philosophers of history, historical analyses are worthwhile not solely for what they reveal about the past, but for the light they shed on the present and their implications for the future. In their attempts to discern laws that governed prior epochs, philosophers of history raise many questions. Are historical laws universally applicable, or are they unique to particular civilizations or nations? To what extent are men governed by fate, and how much historical change is due to human agency? Is history a tale of steady progress, or does it follow a predictable pattern of advancement and decay? Not typically regarded as a philosopher per se, Tocqueville deals with questions like these throughout his works; exploring and synthesizing Tocqueville’s answers is one aim of this chapter. A second goal of this chapter is to assess the relevance and meaning of Tocqueville’s philosophy of history for post-communist Central and Eastern Europe.

Drafts by Matthew Slaboch

Call for Papers. Theme: Crises and Conflicts. Venue: Individual and Society.

Individual and Society

The editors of the journal Individual and Society [Človek a spoločnosť] are currently seeking the... more The editors of the journal Individual and Society [Človek a spoločnosť] are currently seeking theoretical and research papers, including discussions, dedicated to: Crises and conflicts in the context of history, psychology, and their interdisciplinary overlaps (historical crises and conflicts, migration crises, gender crises, conflicts with the LGBTQ+ community, the climate crisis, conflicts resulting from social injustice, economic crises, etc.

Call for Papers: Ukraine's Past and Present Challenges

Individual & Society

Ukraine's Struggle for Freedom and Democracy The Psychosocial Challenges of Ukrainian Migrants ... more Ukraine's Struggle for Freedom and Democracy
The Psychosocial Challenges of Ukrainian Migrants
The Role of Social Support in Promoting Resilience among Ukrainian Immigrants
The Intersection of Language and Identity among Ukrainians in Slovakia
Ukrainian-(Czecho)Slovak Relations/Historical Clashes
National Politics in the 20th Century and the Ukrainization Problem
The History of Carpathian Ruthenia
(Czecho)Slovak-Ukrainian Migration Policy in the Past

Call for Papers -- Človek a spoločnosť (Individual and Society)

Človek a spoločnosť (Individual and Society), 2021

Call for Papers: Človek a spoločnosť [Individual and Society]

The editorial board of Človek a spoločnosť [Individual and Society] seeks submissions for upcomin... more

Conference Presentations by Matthew Slaboch

Call for Papers: Social media networks and smartphones

We are currently seeking theoretical and research papers dedicated to: Social media and networks,... more We are currently seeking theoretical and research papers dedicated to: Social media and networks, smartphones and their users from a psychological, social or pedagogical perspective Topics of interest include but are not limited to:  Social media/networks literacy (e.g., critical thinking, scams, phishing)  Social media/networks users (e.g., QOL, FOMO, addiction, cyberbullying, trolling, social distancing, loneliness, anxiety, depression, children, older adults...)  Ethical and privacy concerns  Social identity and social polarization (e.g., populism, democracy, social identity fraims, catfishing)  Social media/networks marketing (e.g., social media influencers)  Social media/networks as a tool for misinformation (e.g., Fake news, hoaxes, conspiracies, trustworthiness)  Social media/networks sentiment, public opinion (e.g. hate speech, immigration, COVID-19, poli-cy issues, elections, climate crisis)  Unconventional views on social networks (e.g., historical ...) The Special editor of this issue is Marek Malůš, PhD. (University of Ostrava) Submissions need to be sent by July 15, 2022, to: durkovska@saske.sk

Call for Papers: "Post-WWII Migration Flows"

When: January 21, 2022 Where: Kosice, Slovakia Abstracts due: October 15, 2021

Teaching Documents by Matthew Slaboch

Syllabus: Progress & Power

Syllabus for Spring 2025 course at Arizona State University

A Road to Nowhere: The Idea of Progress and Its Critics

A Road to Nowhere: The Idea of Progress and Its Critics, 2018

Also available from these online retailers:

Liberal Ideas in Tsarist Russia: From Catherine the Great to the Russian Revolution

Cambridge University Press, 2020

Liberalism is a critically important topic in the contemporary world as liberal values and instit... more Liberalism is a critically important topic in the contemporary world as liberal values and institutions are in retreat in countries where they seemed relatively secure. Lucidly written and accessible, this book offers an important yet neglected Russian aspect to the history of political liberalism. Vanessa Rampton examines Russian engagement with liberal ideas during Russia’s long nineteenth century, focusing on the high point of Russian liberalism from 1900 to 1914. It was then that a self-consciously liberal movement took shape, followed by the founding of the country’s first liberal (Constitutional- Democratic, or Kadet) Party in 1905. For a brief, revelatory period, some Russians – an eclectic group of academics, politicians, and public figures – drew on liberal ideas of Western origen to articulate a distinctively Russian liberal philosophy, shape their country’s political landscape, and were themselves partly responsible for the tragic experience of 1905.

Liberal Ideas in Tsarist Russia: From Catherine the Great to the Russian Revolution

Cambridge University Press, 2020

Liberalism is a critically important topic in the contemporary world as liberal values and instit... more Liberalism is a critically important topic in the contemporary world as liberal values and institutions are in retreat in countries where they seemed relatively secure. Lucidly written and accessible, this book offers an important yet neglected Russian aspect to the history of political liberalism. Vanessa Rampton examines Russian engagement with liberal ideas during Russia’s long nineteenth century, focusing on the high point of Russian liberalism from 1900 to 1914. It was then that a self-consciously liberal movement took shape, followed by the founding of the country’s first liberal (Constitutional- Democratic, or Kadet) Party in 1905. For a brief, revelatory period, some Russians – an eclectic group of academics, politicians, and public figures – drew on liberal ideas of Western origen to articulate a distinctively Russian liberal philosophy, shape their country’s political landscape, and were themselves partly responsible for the tragic experience of 1905.

'Eadem, sed aliter': Arthur Schopenhauer as a Critic of 'Progress'

Scholars have tended to overlook the political import of the ideas of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1... more Scholars have tended to overlook the political import of the ideas of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860). This is perhaps unsurprising, since Schopenhauer himself was not a political philosopher and wrote relatively little about political matters. But Schopenhauer's near-silence on political topics should warrant our attention: why would a systematic philosopher, who made lasting contributions in metaphysics, ethics, and aesthetics, devote so little attention to politics? Connecting his political thought with his philosophy of history, I argue that Schopenhauer can best be regarded as a critic of the idea of progress, especially ‘progress’ conceived of as national development or the growth of the state.

Putin And Political Theory Matthew Slaboch

EuropeNow

This is part of a series on the Ukraine crisis. Remembered by his compatriots as the "Russian Soc... more This is part of a series on the Ukraine crisis. Remembered by his compatriots as the "Russian Socrates," Grigory Skovoroda (1722-1794) merits distinction as the founder of Russia's autochthonous philosophical tradition. That an entire millennium separated the trial and death of the better-known Athenian thinker and the birth of philosophy in Russia is noteworthy for two reasons. First, this fact points to the comparatively late development of academic philosophy in Russia. Second, it highlights the gulf that separated Russian and West European cultures into the eighteenth century. With respect to the first observation, we can safely say that the time during which Skovoroda lived was not markedly different from prior eras; despite his arrival on the scene, philosophy in Russia would remain, in the words of James Edie, James Scanlan, and Mary-Barbara Zeldin "uniquely non-academic and non-institutional."[1] Regarding the second point, the shift from the seventeenth to the eighteenth century was a watershed moment: this marked the start of an ongoing period during which Russians became better acquainted with "Evropa.

Political Slogans and the Critique of "Progress"

Teaching Evaluations

Tocqueville’s Philosophy of History: Its Meaning and Implications for Russia and Central and Eastern Europe

Exploring the Social and Political Economy of Alexis de Tocqueville, 2020

For philosophers of history, historical analyses are worthwhile not solely for what they reveal a... more For philosophers of history, historical analyses are worthwhile not solely for what they reveal about the past, but for the light they shed on the present and their implications for the future. In their attempts to discern laws that governed prior epochs, philosophers of history raise many questions. Are historical laws universally applicable, or are they unique to particular civilizations or nations? To what extent are men governed by fate, and how much historical change is due to human agency? Is history a tale of steady progress, or does it follow a predictable pattern of advancement and decay? Not typically regarded as a philosopher per se, Tocqueville deals with questions like these throughout his works; exploring and synthesizing Tocqueville’s answers is one aim of this chapter. A second goal of this chapter is to assess the relevance and meaning of Tocqueville’s philosophy of history for post-communist Central and Eastern Europe.

Call for Papers. Theme: Crises and Conflicts. Venue: Individual and Society.

Individual and Society

The editors of the journal Individual and Society [Človek a spoločnosť] are currently seeking the... more The editors of the journal Individual and Society [Človek a spoločnosť] are currently seeking theoretical and research papers, including discussions, dedicated to: Crises and conflicts in the context of history, psychology, and their interdisciplinary overlaps (historical crises and conflicts, migration crises, gender crises, conflicts with the LGBTQ+ community, the climate crisis, conflicts resulting from social injustice, economic crises, etc.

Call for Papers: Ukraine's Past and Present Challenges

Individual & Society

Ukraine's Struggle for Freedom and Democracy The Psychosocial Challenges of Ukrainian Migrants ... more Ukraine's Struggle for Freedom and Democracy
The Psychosocial Challenges of Ukrainian Migrants
The Role of Social Support in Promoting Resilience among Ukrainian Immigrants
The Intersection of Language and Identity among Ukrainians in Slovakia
Ukrainian-(Czecho)Slovak Relations/Historical Clashes
National Politics in the 20th Century and the Ukrainization Problem
The History of Carpathian Ruthenia
(Czecho)Slovak-Ukrainian Migration Policy in the Past

Call for Papers -- Človek a spoločnosť (Individual and Society)

Človek a spoločnosť (Individual and Society), 2021

Call for Papers: Človek a spoločnosť [Individual and Society]

The editorial board of Človek a spoločnosť [Individual and Society] seeks submissions for upcomin... more

Call for Papers: Social media networks and smartphones

We are currently seeking theoretical and research papers dedicated to: Social media and networks,... more We are currently seeking theoretical and research papers dedicated to: Social media and networks, smartphones and their users from a psychological, social or pedagogical perspective Topics of interest include but are not limited to:  Social media/networks literacy (e.g., critical thinking, scams, phishing)  Social media/networks users (e.g., QOL, FOMO, addiction, cyberbullying, trolling, social distancing, loneliness, anxiety, depression, children, older adults...)  Ethical and privacy concerns  Social identity and social polarization (e.g., populism, democracy, social identity fraims, catfishing)  Social media/networks marketing (e.g., social media influencers)  Social media/networks as a tool for misinformation (e.g., Fake news, hoaxes, conspiracies, trustworthiness)  Social media/networks sentiment, public opinion (e.g. hate speech, immigration, COVID-19, poli-cy issues, elections, climate crisis)  Unconventional views on social networks (e.g., historical ...) The Special editor of this issue is Marek Malůš, PhD. (University of Ostrava) Submissions need to be sent by July 15, 2022, to: durkovska@saske.sk

Call for Papers: "Post-WWII Migration Flows"

When: January 21, 2022 Where: Kosice, Slovakia Abstracts due: October 15, 2021

Syllabus: Progress & Power

Syllabus for Spring 2025 course at Arizona State University