Bas van der Vossen

I am an Associate Professor in the Smith Institute for Political Economy and Philosophy, as well as the Philosophy Department at Chapman University. My work focuses on questions of political philosophy, primarily the ethical dimensions of international affairs, state authority, and the justification of property rights.

I am the author of In Defense of Openness: Why Global Freedom Is the Humane Solution to Global Poverty (Oxford University Press, 2018), with Jason Brennan, and Debating Humanitarian Intervention: Should We Try to Save Strangers? (Oxford University Press, 2017), with Fernando Tesón. I’m also an Associate Editor of Social Philosophy and Policy.

At the Smith Institute, we integrate the study of philosophy, economics, and the humanities. Our goals are to develop innovative and interdisciplinary courses that are taught in seminar-form, and encourage students to think for themselves and take an active role in their education.