Dr Demetris Tillyris

I specialise in Contemporary Social and Political Theory, Public Ethics, and the History of Political Thought, and I have a strong track of excellence in research, teaching, and leadership in Higher Education.

Before joining CCCU, I was a Lecturer and Senior Teaching Assistant at The University of Leeds and The University of Manchester.

I hold a BA in. Economics and Politics (1st) from The University of Manchester (2006 - 2009), an MSc in Management, Organisations, and Governance (High Merit) from the London School of Economics and Political Science (2009 - 2010), and a PhD in Political Theory, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), from the University of Leeds (pass with no corrections; 2011 – 2014).

I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and I have a strong track record of outstanding, innovative research-led teaching in Social and Political Theory, International Relations, Moral Philosophy, Leadership Ethics, and Legal Theory. I have successfully supervised and supported Undergraduate and Postgraduate students; acted as Research Mentor for less experienced colleagues (e.g., Teaching Assistants, Early Career Scholars, Research Fellows and Interns); designed, delivered, and organised research training sessions for Undergraduate and Postgraduate students and Early Career Scholars (e.g., how to write a PhD; how to get published successfully; how to attract research funding); co-authored and published research outputs with my Postgraduate mentees (paper with G. Vogler published in The Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy); and, effectively acted as Personal Academic Tutor for UG and PG students, providing high quality pastoral support.

I am leading on the design, instruction, and assessment of the following modules:

1.  Freedom, Justice, and Rebellion (Level 4)
2. How to Change the World (Level 4)
3. Conflict, Justice and Exploitation (Level 5)
4. Justice in Crisis: What’s the Right Thing to Do? (Level 5, University-wide Interdisciplinary Module)
5. Animal Ethics (Level 5, University-wide Interdisciplinary Module) vi. Dirty Hands and the Ethics of Political Leadership (Level 6)
6. Ethics in International Politics (Level 6)
7. Human Rights (Level 7). My teaching has been consistently nominated for numerous teaching awards by my students.

I was runner up for a Golden Apple Award on Teaching Excellence (2016/17; Canterbury Christ Church University), and a Golden Apple Award for Commitment to Community, Diversity, and Inclusion (2022 – 23; CCCU). I have been also nominated for an Inspirational Teaching Award (2014/15; University of Leeds), an Innovative Teaching Award (2014/15; University of Leeds), an Employee Recognition Award (2015/16; The University of Manchester), and a Golden Apple Award (2016/17; 2017/18; 2018/19).

PhD Examination and Supervision

I have successfully examined the following PhD theses:

1. Gianni Sara: ‘The Dirty Rules Dilemma: Achieving Justice in Conditions of Corruption' (King’s College London; external examiner; 2023)
2. Saliha Smaine: ‘Arab solidarity in practice: Sense of belonging and integration of Syrian Refugees in Jordan and Tunisia’ (CCCU; internal examiner; 2023)
3. Wai Kong NG: Uneasy Bedfellows: Legitimacy, the Chinese Communist Party and Confucius (University of Leeds; external examiner; 2002)
4. Tom Sharkey: ‘Anarchism, Ethics and Art: A Politics of Peculiarity’ (CCCU; internal examiner; 2022).

I am interested in supervising PhD projects which focus on questions of public ethics (e.g., problems of dirty hands, compromise, and betrayal; political integrity and political judgement; political disenchantment and civic disengagement; toleration; political friendship; dog-whistle politics; virtue signalling; and, the ethics of resistance and civil disobedience.

I have a track record of internationally excellent research. My research focuses on a range pressing ethical questions contemporary public life and public policy, some of which are the following:

1. the ethics of leadership and problems of dirty hands in politics (i.e., situations whereby political leaders are compelled to engage in morally disagreeable acts for strategic or political reasons)
2. the ethics of political campaigning and communication (e.g., dog-whistle politics; hypocrisy and deception)
3. conflict and conflict resolution (i.e. the ethics of negotiation and compromise); political disenchantment and civic disengagement
4. the ethics of resistance and opposition in democratic cultures.

I also have research interests in populism, toleration and civility, multiculturalism and diversity, political friendship, political realism, political judgement, and virtue-signalling. My research has been published in numerous reputable journals, four of which have been assessed by external reviewers as 3*, and submitted to the REF. My most recent paper, published in The Journal of Ethics, is part of a special issue edited by Dr S. de Wijze (The University of Manchester), and Dr C. Nick (University of Leeds), which celebrates 50 years since the publication of M. Walzer’s field-defining article on dirty hands, and which features a paper and interview by Walzer.

I have utilised my research to shape my teaching, fostering student learning and outcomes, and disseminated my findings in conferences featuring renowned scholars from various disciplines as well as social and political practitioners (e.g., Theos Think Tank; Compass Think Tank; Electoral Reform Society; Ethnic & Minority Research Council). My work on the ethics of political communication and rhetoric has formed the basis for an interview with The Philosophers’ Magazine and for keynote addresses at the LSE’s Forum for European Philosophy and The White Rose Association for Political Philosophy (WRAPP).

My research activities and projects have attracted funding from range of prestigious bodies, some of which are the following:

1. Kent Wildlife Trust Workshop Fund, £1500, 2024
2. British International Studies Workshop Grant, (‘CIAP 2018: Rethinking Resistance: The Ethics of Defiance and Opposition in an age of Disenchantment’), £1500, 2018.
3. British International Studies Association Workshop Grant (CIAP 2017: Emotions in Politics & IR), £1000, 2017.
4. Political Studies Association - Political Thought Specialist Group Workshop Grant (CIAP 2017: Emotions in Politics & IR), £1000, 2017.
5. White Rose Consortium Workshop Grant (CIAP 2017: Emotions in Politics & IR), £500, 2017.
6. LEAP Workshop Grant (CIAP 2016: Morality and Politics), £1000, 2016.
7. White Rose Association for Political Philosophy (‘On Vice: Political Ethics and Moral Conflict’ conference), £2,500, 2013.
8. ESRC Doctoral Grant, POLIS, University of Leeds, £60,000, 2010 – 2013. 

Interviews

• Hypocrisy, The Philosophers’ Magazine, 2018. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZpVF8HI5Fo&t=151s

Invited Talks and Keynote Addresses

• Dirty Hands and the Ethics of Quotidian Resistance [invited talk]. Annual Faculty Research Conference. CCCU. Jan 24.
• Racist Politeness [Keynote Address]. ‘The Politics of Politeness: Civility, Democracy, and Everyday Life’ Workshop, Centre for Political Theory, The White Rose Association for Political Philosophy, University of Leeds, Dec 2023.
• How to get Published Successfully [Invited Talk]. Postgraduate Research Talk. CCCU, Oct. 2019
• Political Hypocrisy [Keynote Address]. The Forum for European Philosophy, LSE, Apr 2018. Available at: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/theforum/hypocrisy/
• Reflections on a Crisis: Public Morality in an Age of Disenchantment [Invited Talk]. Ethics in Political Participation workshop, University of Loughborough, Jun 2016.
• How to get Published Successfully [Invited Talk]. Postgraduate Research Talk. University of Leeds, May 2016.
• How to write a PhD Thesis [Invited Talk]. Postgraduate Research Talk. University of Leeds, May 2016.
• What’s the point of Political Integrity? [Invited Talk]. Centre for Leadership Studies, University of Leeds 2014.

Selected Talks & Presentations Dirty

• Hands as a ‘Weapon of the Weak’: Injustice, and the Ambiguities of Everyday Resistance. ‘The Political Theory of Everyday Life’ panel. MANCEPT Workshops in Pol. Theory. Sep 2022.
• Dirty Hands and Suffering. ‘Value Pluralism and Public Ethics’ panel. MANCEPT Workshops in Political Theory. Sep 2017.
• Compromise, Political Integrity, and the Ambiguities of Betrayal. Association for Legal and Social Philosophy Annual Conference, University of Leeds, 2015.
• Hypocrisy and Democracy. Ideals and Reality in Social Ethics, University of South Wales, 2014.
• Learning how not to be Good: Machiavelli, and the Standard Dirty Hands Thesis. Ideals and Reality in Social Ethics, University of South Wales, 2013.
• The Paradox of Hypocrisy. Botany House Seminar Series, University of Leeds, 2013
• A Critique of the Dirty Hands thesis. MANCEPT Workshops. University of Manchester, 2012.
• Discussant ‘The Politics of Politeness: Civility, Democracy, and Everyday Life’, Centre for Political Theory, The White Rose Association for Political Philosophy, University of Leeds, Dec 2023 Political Hypocrisy, The Forum for European Philosophy, LSE, April 2017.
• ‘Human Dignity’, Association for Social and Political Philosophy Workshop. University of Leeds, 2015.
• Examining the Shared Life: Social Unity, Civic Health and Cultural Diversity, roundtable discussion with Theos Think Tank, 2012. 

Editorial & Reviewer Positions

I have acted as reviewer for the Independent Social Research Foundation (2015 to present), and voluntary reviewer for the Social Mobility Foundation, aiding students from disadvantaged backgrounds with their university applications. I have also reviewed academic papers and monographs for the following journals and presses: Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, Political Studies, British Journal of Politics and International Relations Journal of Value Inquiry, Journal of Politics, Journal of Ethics, Res Publica, Review of Politics, Southern Journal of Philosophy, European Journal of Political Theory, Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, American Political Science Review, Philosophers Imprint, Palgrave, Cambridge University Press, and Oxford University Press.

Memberships & Professional Affiliations

• Fellow of Higher Education Academy, Jun 2018.
• Member of the Britain and Ireland Association for Political Thought, 2015 to present.
• Member of Association for Political Theory, 2015 to present.