Samuel Piccolo
Asst Professor
Weissman School of Arts and Sciences
- Biography
- Teaching
- Research and Creative Activity
- Grants
- Honors and Awards
- Service
Samuel Piccolo is a political theorist and Assistant Professor of Political Science at Baruch College, CUNY. His research and teaching cover a range of contemporary and historical issues, from Native American political traditions and Classical political thought, to liberalism and technology.
His peer-reviewed work has been published in venues including American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, American Political Thought, European Journal of Political Theory, and Security Studies. He's also the co-editor (with A. James McAdams) of the volume Far-Right Newspeak and the Future of Liberal Democracy.
His book, Instruments of the Soul: A New Encounter with Native American Thought, will be published by Stanford University Press in 2026.
More information can be found at samuelpiccolo.com
Education
Ph.D., University of Notre Dame
M.A., University of Notre Dame
B.A. (Hons), Brock University
Books
Piccolo, S. (2027). Instruments of the Soul: A New Encounter with Native American Thought. Stanford University Press.
Piccolo, S. (2024). Far-Right Newspeak and the Future of Liberal Democracy. (p. 293). Routledge.
Journal Articles
(2025). The Transhumanist Challenge to Liberal Individuals. Politics & Poetics,
(2025). Plagues and Pantheism. History of European Ideas,
(2024). Nature in Native American Political Thinking. American Political Thought,
(2023). Critical Theory and North American Indigenous Thinking. European Journal of Political Theory,
(2023). From Navajo ‘Holy Wind’ to Spinoza’s Divine Nature: Viola Cordova’s ComparativeApproach to Indigenous Thought. Journal of Politics,
(2023). Modern Constitutionalism, Treaty Federalism, Indigenous Peoples, and the Problem of Envy. Politics & Poetics,
(2023). Indigenous Sovereignty, Common Law, and Natural Law. American Journal of Political Science,
(2022). “Nothing Short of Murder”: How Civilian Leaders Can Diminish Military Capacity. Security Studies,
(2022). To Hell with Both of You: the Dantean Roots of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Political Science Reviewer,
(2021). Petites Histoires, Meta-perspective: Meaning and Narrative in Julian Barnes. Papers on Language and Literature,
(2020). Coming into the Country: An Arendtian Analysis of Nationalism and Narrative. Arendt Studies,
Book Chapters
(2024). Liberalism’s Vulnerabilities and Two Paths for the Future. Far-Right Newspeak and the Future of Liberal Democracy (pp. 233-259). London. Routledge.
Media Contributions
Piccolo, S. A Sleepless Year in a Sleepy Town.
Piccolo, S. (2025). Illiberalism, the Environment, and Native American Political Thought.
Presentations
Piccolo, S. (2026, May 29). Hope in Native American and Aristotelian Philosophy. Athens Institute Philosophy Conference. Athens
Piccolo, S. (2026, November 29). Apocalypticism in Native American Traditions. Association for Political Theory. Chicago
Piccolo, S. (2026, April 29). Hope in Native American and Aristotelian Philosophy. Midwest Political Science Association Annual Meeting.
Piccolo, S. (2026, April 29). Indigenous Ethics and Neo-Aristotelian Virtues. Midwest Political Science Association Annual Meeting. Chicago
Piccolo, S. (2026, January 29). Native American Thinking and Neo-Aristotelianism. Southern Political Science Assoication Annual Meeting. New Orleans
Piccolo, S. (2026, October 29). Native American Thinking and Neo-Aristotelianism. Association for Political Theory Annual Conference. Schenectady
Piccolo, S. (2026, April 29). Nature in Native American Political Thinking. Princeton Graduate Conference in Political Theory. Princeton
Piccolo, S. (2026, April 29). Nature in Native American Political Thinking. Western Political Science Association Annual Conference. San Francisco
Piccolo, S. (2026, September 29). Indigenous Sovereignty, Common Law, and Natural Law. American Political Science Association Annual Meeting. Montreal
| Honor / Award | Organization Sponsor | Date Received | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excellence in Teaching Award | University of Notre Dame Department of Political Science | 2021-05-15 | |
| Dalton Camp Essay Prize | Friends of Canadian Broadcasting | 2019-04-15 | $10,000 essay prize |
| Presidential Fellowship | University of Notre Dame | 2018-05-15 | Annual fellowship of $6000 |
College
| Committee Name | Position Role | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student Awards Committee | Committee Member | Present | |
| Athletics Committee | Committee Member | Present | |
| Research Colloquium Committee | Committee Member | Present |