Gerhard Wolmarans received his doctorate in Political Studies from the University of Johannesburg (DLitt et Phil, 2009). His fields of specialisation include Political Theory, History of Political Thought and Political Philosophy with specific focus on intersubjective communication in the political space, multiculturalism, and democratic theory. Other current and past areas of teaching and research include Politics as an academic discipline, social justice, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, specifically the Jerusalem problem, religion and politics, the political thought of Michael Oakeshott and CS Lewis, political modernity and the South African state. He was a recipient of the 2010 RDP grant by the University of Pretoria (for the years 2010-2012), during which time spent time at the University of Indiana/Purdue (Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA), Wheaton College (Illinois, USA), New School (NY, USA), and the LSE (London, UK) for research or teaching purposes. He participated in numerous local and international conferences and similar academic forums, in Zimbabwe, Portugal, Greece, Russia, the USA, and others. He currently teaches first and third year students on undergraduate level, and to postgraduate students up to doctoral level. His teaching also includes postgraduate courses and students in the Department of Philosophy at UP.

He is a Fellow of the prestigious Global Ethics Network of the Carnegie Council in New York, a network aimed at the exploration of the multifarious ethical dimensions of global affairs.

Dr Wolmarans was the recipient of the Best Lecturer Award for 2014 within the Faculty of Humanities in recognition of his innovative and creative engagement with his Political Theory students.

Dr. Wolmarans may be contacted for inquiries regarding BA PolSci (Political Studies). Email: [email protected]

Research focus:

The broad field of Political Theory. Current research is centred on democratic theory, with specific focus on the accommodation of diversity, especially deep diversity, within a democratic state. This research considers questions of social cohesion within South Africa from a normative perspective.
 

Publication Highlights:

• 2012: ‘The character of the South African state’ in Thuynsma, H. (ed.) Public Opinion and Interest Group Politics: South Africa’s Missing Links? Pretoria: Africa Institute of South Africa.

• 2005: ‘Oakeshott’s characterization of ‘politics’ in an African context’ in Abel, C & Fuller, T. (eds.) The Intellectual Legacy of Michael Oakeshott. Exeter: Imprint Academic.

• 2002: ‘A ‘conversation’ concerning political understanding: Bacon contra Augustine or the ‘politics of faith’ contra the ‘politics of scepticism’. Politikon 5

Forthcoming:

• ‘Interpreting the ‘Other’ in Deliberative Democracy – in Pursuit of a ‘Good Reading’.’ (submitted for publication).