Dr E.S. Schliesser (1971) is professor of Political Science, with a focus on Political Theory, at the University of Amsterdam’s (UvA) Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences.
Eric Schliesser's (PhD, The University of Chicago, 2002) research encompasses a variety of themes, ranging from economic statistics in classical Babylon, the history of the natural sciences and forgotten 18th-century feminists (both male and female) to political theory and the history of political theory and the assumptions used in mathematical economics. Schliesser's interest in the influence of Chicago school of economics has increasingly moved his research toward the study of the methodology and political role of economists as experts.
He was previously affiliated with Syracuse University, Leiden University, and Ghent University among others. Schliesser has published prolifically on Newton, Huygens, Spinoza, Berkeley, Hume, Adam Smith and Sophie De Grouchy. His publications include his monograph, Adam Smith: Systematic philosopher and Public Thinker (OUP, 2017). He has edited numerous volumes including (inter alia) Newton and empiricism. (OUP, with Zvi Biener, 2014); Sympathy, a History of a Concept (OUP, 2015); Ten Neglected Classics of philosophy (Oxford, 2017). Right now he is working on a translation and critical edition of Sophie de Grouchy's Letters on Sympathy (together with Sandrine Berges). He keeps a daily blog Digressionsnimpressions.
 Schliesser, E. (2025). Ernest Nagel and Felix Oppenheim Respond to Leo Strauss, and the Road Not Taken. In S. Verhaegh (Ed.), American Philosophy and the Intellectual Migration: Pragmatism, Logical Empiricism, Phenomenology, Critical Theory (pp. 257-278). (De Gruyter History of Philosophy and Science; Vol. 1). De Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111335209-014 [details]
Schliesser, E. (2025). Ernest Nagel and Felix Oppenheim Respond to Leo Strauss, and the Road Not Taken. In S. Verhaegh (Ed.), American Philosophy and the Intellectual Migration: Pragmatism, Logical Empiricism, Phenomenology, Critical Theory (pp. 257-278). (De Gruyter History of Philosophy and Science; Vol. 1). De Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111335209-014 [details] Schliesser, E. (2025). Hudde, Johannes (1628-1704). In K. Hübner, & J. Steinberg (Eds.), The Cambridge Spinoza Lexicon (pp. 234-236). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108992459.088 [details]
Schliesser, E. (2025). Hudde, Johannes (1628-1704). In K. Hübner, & J. Steinberg (Eds.), The Cambridge Spinoza Lexicon (pp. 234-236). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108992459.088 [details] Schliesser, E. (2025). What to Do When You Encounter Funky Causes in the (Historical) Wild. In P. Illari, & F. Russo (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Causality and Causal Methods (pp. 614-623). (Routledge handbooks in philosophy). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003528937-68 [details]
Schliesser, E. (2025). What to Do When You Encounter Funky Causes in the (Historical) Wild. In P. Illari, & F. Russo (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Causality and Causal Methods (pp. 614-623). (Routledge handbooks in philosophy). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003528937-68 [details] Schliesser, E. S. (2025). Stebbing on Clarity. In A. Coliva, & L. Doulas (Eds.), Susan Stebbing: : Analysis, Common Sense, and Public Philosophy (pp. 52–78). (Oxford New Histories of Philosophy (ONHP) ). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/9780197682371.003.0004
Schliesser, E. S. (2025). Stebbing on Clarity. In A. Coliva, & L. Doulas (Eds.), Susan Stebbing: : Analysis, Common Sense, and Public Philosophy (pp. 52–78). (Oxford New Histories of Philosophy (ONHP) ). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/9780197682371.003.0004 Schliesser, E. S., Cowen, N., & Tranditis, A. (2025). Democracy as a competitive discovery process. European Journal of Political Economy. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2025.102695
Schliesser, E. S., Cowen, N., & Tranditis, A. (2025). Democracy as a competitive discovery process. European Journal of Political Economy. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2025.102695 van Cauter, J., & Schliesser, E. (2025). Ambition. In K. Hübner, & J. Steinberg (Eds.), The Cambridge Spinoza Lexicon (pp. 27-29). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108992459.010 [details]
van Cauter, J., & Schliesser, E. (2025). Ambition. In K. Hübner, & J. Steinberg (Eds.), The Cambridge Spinoza Lexicon (pp. 27-29). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108992459.010 [details] Cowen, N., & Schliesser, E. (2024). Novel externalities. Public Choice, 201(3-4), 557-578. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11127-023-01072-x [details]
Cowen, N., & Schliesser, E. (2024). Novel externalities. Public Choice, 201(3-4), 557-578. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11127-023-01072-x [details] Russo, F., Schliesser, E., & Wagemans, J. (2024). Connecting ethics and epistemology of AI. AI & Society, 39(4), 1585–1603. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-022-01617-6 [details]
Russo, F., Schliesser, E., & Wagemans, J. (2024). Connecting ethics and epistemology of AI. AI & Society, 39(4), 1585–1603. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-022-01617-6 [details] Schliesser, E. (2024). Adam Smith y el origen del liberalismo. Estudios Públicos, 2024(Número especial 2), 63-88. https://doi.org/10.38178/07183089/1649230831 [details]
Schliesser, E. (2024). Adam Smith y el origen del liberalismo. Estudios Públicos, 2024(Número especial 2), 63-88. https://doi.org/10.38178/07183089/1649230831 [details] Schliesser, E. (2024). Locke’s Humean conventionalism: Symposium on Marin Lenz's: Socializing Minds. British Journal for the History of Philosophy, 32(6), 1457-1466. https://doi.org/10.1080/09608788.2023.2268404 [details]
Schliesser, E. (2024). Locke’s Humean conventionalism: Symposium on Marin Lenz's: Socializing Minds. British Journal for the History of Philosophy, 32(6), 1457-1466. https://doi.org/10.1080/09608788.2023.2268404 [details] Schliesser, E. (2024). On the New Nature and the Impact of Synthetic Philosophy on Cosmogenic Speculation. In C. Wolfe, & A. Waldow (Eds.), Science and the Shaping of Modernity: Essays in Honor of Stephen Gaukroger (pp. 275–283). (Studies in History and Philosophy of Science; Vol. 62). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-76037-2_28 [details]
Schliesser, E. (2024). On the New Nature and the Impact of Synthetic Philosophy on Cosmogenic Speculation. In C. Wolfe, & A. Waldow (Eds.), Science and the Shaping of Modernity: Essays in Honor of Stephen Gaukroger (pp. 275–283). (Studies in History and Philosophy of Science; Vol. 62). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-76037-2_28 [details] Schliesser, E. (2024). X—Synthetic Philosophy: A Restatement. Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, 124(3), 229-252. https://doi.org/10.1093/arisoc/aoae018 [details]
Schliesser, E. (2024). X—Synthetic Philosophy: A Restatement. Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, 124(3), 229-252. https://doi.org/10.1093/arisoc/aoae018 [details] Schliesser, E. (2023). Teaching Comparative History of Political Philosophy. In A. L. Griffioen, & M. Backmann (Eds.), Pluralizing Philosophy’s Past: New Reflections in the History of Philosophy (pp. 163-178). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13405-0_12 [details]
Schliesser, E. (2023). Teaching Comparative History of Political Philosophy. In A. L. Griffioen, & M. Backmann (Eds.), Pluralizing Philosophy’s Past: New Reflections in the History of Philosophy (pp. 163-178). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13405-0_12 [details] Schliesser, E. S. (2023). Foucault on Hume: Some Preliminaries. Cosmos + taxis: Studies in emergent order and organization, 12(1+2), 45-58. https://cosmosandtaxis.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/schliesser_ct_vol12_iss_1_2.pdf [details]
Schliesser, E. S. (2023). Foucault on Hume: Some Preliminaries. Cosmos + taxis: Studies in emergent order and organization, 12(1+2), 45-58. https://cosmosandtaxis.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/schliesser_ct_vol12_iss_1_2.pdf [details] Stan, M., Smeenk, C., & Schliesser, E. (2023). Introduction. In M. Stan, & C. Smeenk (Eds.), Theory, Evidence, Data: Themes from George E. Smith (pp. v-xxiv). (Boston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science; Vol. 343). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-41041-3 [details]
Stan, M., Smeenk, C., & Schliesser, E. (2023). Introduction. In M. Stan, & C. Smeenk (Eds.), Theory, Evidence, Data: Themes from George E. Smith (pp. v-xxiv). (Boston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science; Vol. 343). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-41041-3 [details] Schliesser, E. (2022). Philosophy of Science as First Philosophy: The Liberal Polemics of Ernest Nagel. In M. Neuber, & A. T. Tuboly (Eds.), Ernest Nagel: Philosophy of Science and the Fight for Clarity (pp. 233-253). (Logic, Epistemology, and the Unity of Science; Vol. 53). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81010-8_12 [details]
Schliesser, E. (2022). Philosophy of Science as First Philosophy: The Liberal Polemics of Ernest Nagel. In M. Neuber, & A. T. Tuboly (Eds.), Ernest Nagel: Philosophy of Science and the Fight for Clarity (pp. 233-253). (Logic, Epistemology, and the Unity of Science; Vol. 53). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81010-8_12 [details] Schliesser, E. (2022). [Review of: L. Neil (2022) Bad Beliefs : Why They Happen to Good People]. International Studies in the Philosophy of Science, 35(2), 189-203. https://doi.org/10.1080/02698595.2022.2119492 [details]
Schliesser, E. (2022). [Review of: L. Neil (2022) Bad Beliefs : Why They Happen to Good People]. International Studies in the Philosophy of Science, 35(2), 189-203. https://doi.org/10.1080/02698595.2022.2119492 [details] Schliesser, E., & Demeter, T. (2020). Hume’s Newtonianism and Anti-Newtonianism. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2020(Summer). https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hume-newton/ [details]
Schliesser, E., & Demeter, T. (2020). Hume’s Newtonianism and Anti-Newtonianism. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2020(Summer). https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hume-newton/ [details] Corsa, A. J., & Schliesser, E. (2019). A Composite Portrait of a True American Philosophy on Magnanimity. In S. Vasalou (Ed.), The Measure of Greatness: Philosophers on Magnanimity (pp. 235-265). (Mind Association Occasional Series). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198840688.003.0010 [details]
Corsa, A. J., & Schliesser, E. (2019). A Composite Portrait of a True American Philosophy on Magnanimity. In S. Vasalou (Ed.), The Measure of Greatness: Philosophers on Magnanimity (pp. 235-265). (Mind Association Occasional Series). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198840688.003.0010 [details] Demeter, T., & Schliesser, E. (2019). The uses and abuses of mathematics in early modern philosophy: introduction. Synthese, 196(9), 3461-3464. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-017-1670-y [details]
Demeter, T., & Schliesser, E. (2019). The uses and abuses of mathematics in early modern philosophy: introduction. Synthese, 196(9), 3461-3464. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-017-1670-y [details] Schliesser, E. (2019). Sophie de Grouchy, Adam Smith, and the Politics of Sympathy. In E. O'Neill, & M. P. Lascano (Eds.), Feminist History of Philosophy: The Recovery and Evaluation of Women's Philosophical Thought (pp. 193-219). (Feminist Philosophy Collection). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-18118-5_9 [details]
Schliesser, E. (2019). Sophie de Grouchy, Adam Smith, and the Politics of Sympathy. In E. O'Neill, & M. P. Lascano (Eds.), Feminist History of Philosophy: The Recovery and Evaluation of Women's Philosophical Thought (pp. 193-219). (Feminist Philosophy Collection). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-18118-5_9 [details] Schliesser, E. (2019). Synthetic Philosophy. Biology and Philosophy, 34(2), Article 19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10539-019-9673-3 [details]
Schliesser, E. (2019). Synthetic Philosophy. Biology and Philosophy, 34(2), Article 19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10539-019-9673-3 [details] Schliesser, E. S. (2019). Walter Lippmann: The Prophet of Liberalism and the Road not Taken. Journal of Contextual Economics : Schmollers Jahrbuch, 139(2-4), 349–363. https://doi.org/10.3790/schm.139.2-4.349
Schliesser, E. S. (2019). Walter Lippmann: The Prophet of Liberalism and the Road not Taken. Journal of Contextual Economics : Schmollers Jahrbuch, 139(2-4), 349–363. https://doi.org/10.3790/schm.139.2-4.349 Pack, S. J., & Schliesser, E. (2018). Adam Smith, natural movement and physics. Cambridge Journal of Economics, 42(2), 505–521. https://doi.org/10.1093/cje/bex008 [details]
Pack, S. J., & Schliesser, E. (2018). Adam Smith, natural movement and physics. Cambridge Journal of Economics, 42(2), 505–521. https://doi.org/10.1093/cje/bex008 [details] Schliesser, E. (2018). Hume on Affective Leadership. In P. A. Reed, & R. Vitz (Eds.), Hume’s Moral Philosophy and Contemporary Psychology (pp. 311-333). (Routledge Studies in Eighteenth-Century Philosophy). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315180830-15 [details]
Schliesser, E. (2018). Hume on Affective Leadership. In P. A. Reed, & R. Vitz (Eds.), Hume’s Moral Philosophy and Contemporary Psychology (pp. 311-333). (Routledge Studies in Eighteenth-Century Philosophy). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315180830-15 [details] Schliesser, E. (2018). On Philosophical Translator-Advocates and Linguistic Injustice. Philosophical Papers, 47(1), 93-121. https://doi.org/10.1080/05568641.2018.1429740 [details]
Schliesser, E. (2018). On Philosophical Translator-Advocates and Linguistic Injustice. Philosophical Papers, 47(1), 93-121. https://doi.org/10.1080/05568641.2018.1429740 [details] Schliesser, E. (2018). Spinoza and the Philosophy of Science: Mathematics, Motion, and Being. In M. Della Rocca (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Spinoza (pp. 155-189). (Oxford Handbooks). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195335828.013.020 [details]
Schliesser, E. (2018). Spinoza and the Philosophy of Science: Mathematics, Motion, and Being. In M. Della Rocca (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Spinoza (pp. 155-189). (Oxford Handbooks). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195335828.013.020 [details] Biener, Z., & Schliesser, E. (2017). The Certainty, Modality, and Grounding of Newton’s Laws. The Monist, 100(3), 311-325. https://doi.org/10.1093/monist/onx012 [details]
Biener, Z., & Schliesser, E. (2017). The Certainty, Modality, and Grounding of Newton’s Laws. The Monist, 100(3), 311-325. https://doi.org/10.1093/monist/onx012 [details] De Langhe, R., & Schliesser, E. (2017). Evaluating Philosophy as Exploratory Research. Metaphilosophy, 48(3), 227-244. https://doi.org/10.1111/meta.12244 [details]
De Langhe, R., & Schliesser, E. (2017). Evaluating Philosophy as Exploratory Research. Metaphilosophy, 48(3), 227-244. https://doi.org/10.1111/meta.12244 [details] Schliesser, E. (2017). Sophie de Grouchy, de traditie (s) van de twee vrijheden en de missende moeder (s) van het liberalisme. Algemeen Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Wijsbegeerte, 109(1), 7-23. https://doi.org/10.5117/ANTW2017.1.SCHL [details]
Schliesser, E. (2017). Sophie de Grouchy, de traditie (s) van de twee vrijheden en de missende moeder (s) van het liberalisme. Algemeen Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Wijsbegeerte, 109(1), 7-23. https://doi.org/10.5117/ANTW2017.1.SCHL [details] van der Schaar, M., & Schliesser, E. (2017). Women in Early Analytic Philosophy: Volume Introduction. Journal for the History of Analytical Philosophy, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.15173/jhap.v5i2.3142 [details]
van der Schaar, M., & Schliesser, E. (2017). Women in Early Analytic Philosophy: Volume Introduction. Journal for the History of Analytical Philosophy, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.15173/jhap.v5i2.3142 [details] Schliesser, E. S. (2025). Helen de Cruz (1978–2025): an academic and personal tribute Published onlin. Religious Studies. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0034412525101066
Schliesser, E. S. (2025). Helen de Cruz (1978–2025): an academic and personal tribute Published onlin. Religious Studies. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0034412525101066 Schliesser, E. (2022). [Review of: M. Schwarze (2020) Recognizing Resentment: Sympathy, Injustice, and Liberal Political Thought]. Perspectives on Politics, 20(3), 1088-1090. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1537592722001414 [details]
Schliesser, E. (2022). [Review of: M. Schwarze (2020) Recognizing Resentment: Sympathy, Injustice, and Liberal Political Thought]. Perspectives on Politics, 20(3), 1088-1090. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1537592722001414 [details] Schliesser, E. S. (2021). Science’s Image: Bringing Douglas into Focus. In T. Richards (Ed.), The Rightful Place of Science: Science, Values, and Democracy: : The 2016 Descartes Lectures.  (pp. 153-166). Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes..
Schliesser, E. S. (2021). Science’s Image: Bringing Douglas into Focus. In T. Richards (Ed.), The Rightful Place of Science: Science, Values, and Democracy: : The 2016 Descartes Lectures.  (pp. 153-166). Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes.. Schliesser, E. (2020). Synthetische filosofie. De Uil van Minerva, 33(3), 243-246. https://doi.org/10.21825/deuilvanminerva.84716 [details]
Schliesser, E. (2020). Synthetische filosofie. De Uil van Minerva, 33(3), 243-246. https://doi.org/10.21825/deuilvanminerva.84716 [details] Schliesser, E. (2018). A Genealogy of modernity and Dennett’s strange inversion of reasoning. Teorema: Revista internacional de filosofía, 37(3), 171-179. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=6561782 [details]
Schliesser, E. (2018). A Genealogy of modernity and Dennett’s strange inversion of reasoning. Teorema: Revista internacional de filosofía, 37(3), 171-179. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=6561782 [details] Schliesser, E. (2018). Author meets Critics. The Journal of Scottish Philosophy, 16(3), 272-282. https://doi.org/10.3366/jsp.2018.0212 [details]
Schliesser, E. (2018). Author meets Critics. The Journal of Scottish Philosophy, 16(3), 272-282. https://doi.org/10.3366/jsp.2018.0212 [details] Schliesser, E. (2018). Nothing Much for Philosophers. Philosophy of the Social Sciences, 48(1), 40-46. https://doi.org/10.1177/0048393117740826 [details]
Schliesser, E. (2018). Nothing Much for Philosophers. Philosophy of the Social Sciences, 48(1), 40-46. https://doi.org/10.1177/0048393117740826 [details] Schliesser, E. (2017). Response to Amy Olberding, "Philosophical Exclusion and Conversational Practices". Philosophy East and West. A Quarterly of Comparative Philosophy., 67(4), 1038-1044. https://doi.org/10.1353/pew.2017.0090 [details]
Schliesser, E. (2017). Response to Amy Olberding, "Philosophical Exclusion and Conversational Practices". Philosophy East and West. A Quarterly of Comparative Philosophy., 67(4), 1038-1044. https://doi.org/10.1353/pew.2017.0090 [details] Burgoon, B., de Goede, M., Glasius, M., & Schliesser, E. (2017). Too Big to Innovate? The Sense and Nonsense of Big Programmatic Research. In B. de Graaf, A. Rinnooy Kan, & H. Molenaar (Eds.), The Dutch National Research Agenda in Perspective: A Reflection on Research and Science Policy in Practice (pp. 121-135). Amsterdam University Press. https://doi.org/10.5117/9789462982796 [details]
Burgoon, B., de Goede, M., Glasius, M., & Schliesser, E. (2017). Too Big to Innovate? The Sense and Nonsense of Big Programmatic Research. In B. de Graaf, A. Rinnooy Kan, & H. Molenaar (Eds.), The Dutch National Research Agenda in Perspective: A Reflection on Research and Science Policy in Practice (pp. 121-135). Amsterdam University Press. https://doi.org/10.5117/9789462982796 [details] Schliesser, E. S. (Author). (2020). Peiling: ONDERZOEK ACADEMISCHE VRIJHEID. Web publication or website, De Volkskrant. https://www.volkskrant.nl/columns-opinie/de-universiteit-moet-geen-morele-bovenmeester-worden~bb03c8ed/
Schliesser, E. S. (Author). (2020). Peiling: ONDERZOEK ACADEMISCHE VRIJHEID. Web publication or website, De Volkskrant. https://www.volkskrant.nl/columns-opinie/de-universiteit-moet-geen-morele-bovenmeester-worden~bb03c8ed/