Welcome Quinn Slobodian: Professor of International History
We are thrilled to welcome Quinn Slobodian to the Pardee School of Global Studies in January 2024.
A distinguished historian specializing in modern Germany and international history, Slobodian brings a wealth of knowledge and a global perspective to our community.
Slobodian, the author of “Crack-Up Capitalism” and “Globalists,” was recently recognized as one of The World’s Top Thinkers 2024 by Prospect Magazine. The magazine praised Slobodian’s critical yet respected stance on neoliberalism and its globalizing ideals. They noted his meticulous scholarship and that his nuanced approach to debates have garnered admiration, even from those he critiques.
According to Prospect Magazine, “it’s also made him a hero to those worried about the power of unaccountable billionaires and their plans to subvert the democratic order.”
His 2018 book, “Globalists,” earned him the George Louis Beer Prize from the American Historical Association and was translated into seven languages. However, Slobodian’s name and thinking gained even more prominence after the publication of “Crack-Up Capitalism” in 2023.
In “Crack-Up Capitalism,” Slobodian explores the global quest of radical libertarians, including notable figures like Milton Friedman and Peter Thiel, as they search for an ideal space where capitalism can thrive without the constraints of democracy. Spanning diverse locations, from Hong Kong to South Africa, the book explores the relentless pursuit of a blank slate for unfettered market competition.
With an impressive background as the Marion Butler McLean Professor of the History of Ideas at Wellesley College, he is set to join us as a Professor of International History. During the 2017-2018 academic year, he was a Residential Fellow at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University. Slobodian studied history at Lewis & Clark College and was awarded his PhD by New York University.
A profile of Quinn Slobodian and his book, “Crack-Up Capitalism,” was featured in Bloomberg Markets Magazine on December 19, 2023, and can be read here. Crack-Up Capitalism has also been reviewed in New York Review of Books, Atlantic and The Guardian.
Quinn is also a regular contributor to The New Statesman and is co-Director of the History & Political Economy Project.