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Anne Norton

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Anne Norton
Born1954
Academic background
EducationUniversity of Chicago (BA, PhD)
Academic work
InstitutionsUniversity of Pennsylvania, University of Notre Dame, Princeton University, University of Texas at Austin.

Anne Norton (born 1954) is an American political scientist. She is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania.

Academic career

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Norton received her B.A. in 1977 and her Ph.D in 1982, both from The University of Chicago.[citation needed] She has held academic positions at University of Notre Dame, Princeton University, and The University of Texas at Austin.

Writings and views

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Norton's central intellectual interest has been the meaning and consequences of political identity. She has explored this theme in two books on American politics and one on the concept of political identity itself, drawing on work in the areas of anthropology and semiotics (Norton 1986, 1993, 1988). She has also written a wide-ranging critique of the current practice of the social sciences, particularly political science (Norton, 2004).

While a student at the University of Chicago, Norton became acquainted with many of the followers of the philosopher Leo Strauss.[citation needed] In the 1990s, the rise of neoconservatism into public consciousness prompted her to write a semi-anecdotal book about the Straussians, titled Leo Strauss and the Politics of American Empire (Yale University Press, 2004). While some have praised the book as a thoughtful account of the intellectual origins of George W. Bush's foreign policy (including Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. in the New York Review of Books, 23 September 2004), it has also received harsh criticism for its author being uninformed about her subject and for spreading mere gossip (see Stanley Hoffman, Foreign Affairs, Nov/Dec 2004, and Charles Butterworth, Review, MIT Electronic Journal of Middle East Studies, 2005). Emphasizing the flaws in Norton’s attempts to define Straussianism and identify Straussians, Peter Minowitz argues that her book is “disgracefully unscholarly.”[1]

Accusations of Antisemitism

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In a lawsuit filed against the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, it was alleged that Norton disseminated blatant antisemitism through her social media platforms, including liking a tweet that stated “Playing the victim is what Jews are best at.”[2]

Controversy over Israel-Hamas War

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Norton has come under scrutiny for her activism regarding the Israel-Hamas War. On December 13, 2023, Henry Jackson announced that he was pulling funding for Norton's named professorship in response to her posts and retweets on Twitter, calling them "hatred and violence."[3] Norton was also one of eight professors listed in an open letter signed by 148 students and alumni, demanding their punishment for "antisemitic behavior."[4] Other students criticized these attacks on Norton and praised her support of Jewish history and the Palestinian people.[5]

Books

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  • Norton, Anne, Wild Democracy: Anarchy, Courage, and Ruling the Law, Oxford University Press, 2023.
  • Norton, Anne, On the Muslim Question. Princeton University Press, 2013.
  • Norton, Anne. Leo Strauss and the Politics of American Empire. Yale University Press, 2004.[6][7]
  • Norton, Anne. Reflections on Political Identity Johns Hopkins University Press, 1988.
  • Norton, Anne, Alternative Americas University of Chicago Press, 1986.
  • Norton, Anne, Republic of Signs University of Chicago Press, 1993.
  • Norton, Anne, Bloodrites of the Poststructuralists Routledge, 2003.
  • Norton, Anne, 95 Theses on Politics, Culture & Method Yale University Press, 2004.
  • Strauss, Leo, Persecution and the Art of Writing University of Chicago Press, reprint edition, 1988.

References

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  1. ^ Peter Minowitz, Straussophobia: Defending Leo Strauss and Straussians against Shadia Drury and Other Accusers (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2009), 25-28, 33-34, 201-8.
  2. ^ https://www.kasowitz.com/media/adod5uwy/amended-complaint-against-penn.pdf
  3. ^ Reilly, Patrick; Crane, Emily (13 December 2023). "Financial bigwigs pulling funds from UPenn professorship over instructor's anti-Israeli 'hatred'". New York Post. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  4. ^ Sankar, Vivi (22 April 2024). "Alumni demand Penn take action against eight professors, citing alleged antisemitic conduct". The Daily Pennsylvanian. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  5. ^ Haynie, Olivia; Starobin, Jack; Klein, Evie (6 May 2024). "Three Jewish students say: stop attacking our professors". The Daily Pennsylvanian. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  6. ^ Costopoulos, James. "Anne Norton and the 'Straussian' Cabal: How Not to Write a Book: Review of Leo Strauss and the Politics of American Empire" (PDF). Interpretation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-11-21.
  7. ^ Schaefer, David Lewis. "The Ass and the Lion: Anne Norton, Leo Strauss and the Politics of American Empire: Review of Leo Strauss and the Politics of American Empire" (PDF). Interpretation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-11-21.
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