Professor Matt Sleat

School of Sociological Studies, Politics and International Relations

Professor of Politics

m.sleat@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 1692

Elmfield Building

Full contact details

Professor Matt Sleat
School of Sociological Studies, Politics and International Relations
Elmfield Building
Northumberland Road
Sheffield
S10 2TU

Profile: Professor Matt Sleat joined the Department in 2007. He works on and has published widely across three main research areas: realist political thought, liberal philosophy, and international relations theory. He is author of two books - Post-Liberalism (Polity 2025) and Liberal Realism: A Realist Theory of Liberal Politics (MUP 2013; paperback 2017; Chinese translation 2024) – and editor of Politics Recovered: Essays on Realist Political Thought (Columbia University Press 2018).

He has published over 20 peer-reviewed articles in journals such as Political Theory, Review of International Studies, Review of Politics, Political Studies, European Journal of Political Theory, European Journal of Philosophy, International Politics, Social Philosophy & Practice, International Political Theory and Social Theory & Practice.

In 2020, Professor Sleat was awarded the inaugural Mid-Career Prize by the Britain and Ireland Association for Political Thought (https://www.associationforpoliticalthought.ac.uk/announcement-biapt-mid-career-prize-winner/).

He has held research fellowships from the Leverhulme Trust and British Academy, and visiting fellowships at the Australia National University, Queen Mary University of London, Kings College London and the University of Oxford. From 2017-23 he was co-editor of Political Studies, and is currently co-editor of European Journal of Political Theory (having also served as co-editor from 2014-17).

Publications

Books

Sleat M (2025) Post-Liberalism. Polity.
Sleat M (2013) Liberal Realism: A Realist Theory of Liberal Politics. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Edited books

Sleat M (Ed.) (2018) Politics Recovered: Realist Thought in Theory and Practice. Columbia: Columbia University Press.

Journal articles

Sleat M (2025) Against realist ideology critique. Social Philosophy and Policy, 41(1), 139-157. View this article in WRRO
Sleat M (2024) Truth and loyalty. Political Theory, 52(4), 581-604. View this article in WRRO
Shklar JN (2023) Rights in the Liberal Tradition. Political Studies, 71(2), 279-294.
Sleat M (2022) Realism and political normativity. Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, 25(3), 465-478.
Sleat M (2022) Self-deception about truthfulness. European Journal of Philosophy, 30(2), 693-708. View this article in WRRO
Hall E & Sleat M (2019) Ethics, morality and the case for realist political theory (vol 20, pg 276, 2017). CRITICAL REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY, 22(2), 235-235.
Hall E & Sleat M (2018) Ethics, morality and the case for realist political theory. Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, 10-27.
Sleat M (2018) Just cyber war?: casus belli, information ethics, and the human perspective. Review of International Studies, 44(2), 324-342. View this article in WRRO
Hall E & Sleat M (2017) Ethics, morality and the case for realist political theory. Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, 20(3), 276-290. View this article in WRRO
Sleat M (2016) What is a Political Value? Political Philosophy and Fidelity to Reality. Social Philosophy and Policy, 33(1-2), 252-272. View this article in WRRO
Sleat M (2016) The Value of Global Justice: Realism and Moralism. Journal of International Political Theory, 12(2), 169-184. View this article in WRRO
Sleat M (2016) Realism, Liberalism and Non-ideal Theory Or, Are there Two Ways to do Realistic Political Theory?. Political Studies, 64(1), 27-41.
Sleat M (2016) The politics and morality of the responsibility to protect: Beyond the realist/liberal impasse. International Politics, 53(1), 67-82.
Sleat M (2015) Justice and Legitimacy in Contemporary Liberal Thought: A Critique. Social Theory and Practice, 41(2), 230-252. View this article in WRRO
Sleat M (2015) The primacy of politics: Towards a more realistic liberalism. Juncture, 21(4), 305-310.
Rossi E & Sleat M (2014) Realism in Normative Political Theory. Philosophy Compass, 9(10), 689-701.
Sleat M (2014) Legitimacy in Realist Thought. Political Theory, 42(3), 314-337.
Sleat M (2014) A Defence of the Radical Version of the Asymmetry Objection to Political Liberalism. Croatian Journal of Philosophy, 14(1), 73-90.
Sleat M (2013) ‘Responsible to Whom? Obligations to Participants and Society in Social Science Research’. Academy of Social Sciences' Professional Briefings, 3, 15-18. View this article in WRRO
Sleat M (2013) Coercing non-liberal persons: Considerations on a more realistic liberalism. European Journal of Political Theory, 12(4), 347-367.
Sleat M (2013) Hope and Disappointment in Politics. Contemporary Politics, 19(2), 131-145.
Sleat M (2013) Justification, Pluralism and Pragmatism: The Problems and Possibilities of a Peircean Epistemic Justification of Liberalism. European Journal of Pragmatism and American Philosophy, 5(2), 38-58.
Sleat M (2012) Legitimacy in a non-ideal key: A critical response to Andrew Mason. Political Theory, 40(5), 650-656.
Sleat M (2011) Liberal realism: A liberal response to the realist critique. Review of Politics, 73(3), 469-496.
Sleat M (2010) Bernard Williams and the possibility of a realist political theory. European Journal of Political Theory, 9(4), 485-503.
Sleat M (2007) Making Sense of our Political Lives - The Political Realism of Bernard Williams. Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, 3(10), 389-398.
Sleat M (2007) On the relationship between truth and liberal politics. INQUIRY, 50(3), 288-305.
Sleat M (2006) Liberalism, Fundamentalism and Truth. Journal of Applied Philosophy, 4(23), 405-417.

Book chapters

Sleat M (2025) Realism and Political Obligations, The Oxford Handbook of Political Obligation (pp. 275-283). Oxford University PressOxford
Sleat M (2019) Modus Vivendi and Legitimacy: Some Sceptical Thoughts, The Political Theory of Modus Vivendi (pp. 185-201). Springer International Publishing
Sleat M (2018) Introduction: Politics Recovered-on the Revival of Realism in Contemporary Political Theory, Politics Recovered (pp. 1-26). Columbia University Press
Sleat M (2018) 'What is Modus Vivendi?: Some Sceptical Thoughts' In Horton J (Ed.), The Political Theory of Modus Vivendi Springer
Sleat M (2018) Politics Recovered-on the Revival of Realism in Contemporary Political Theory Introduction, POLITICS RECOVERED (pp. 1-25).
Sleat M (2017) Responsible to Whom? Obligations to Participants and Society in Social Science Research, Advances in Research Ethics and Integrity (pp. 37-46). Emerald Publishing Limited
Sleat M (2013) The resurgence of realist political theory Introduction, LIBERAL REALISM: A REALIST THEORY OF LIBERAL POLITICS (pp. 1-+).
Sleat M (2013) The realist vision of the political Conflict, coercion, and the circumstances of politics, LIBERAL REALISM: A REALIST THEORY OF LIBERAL POLITICS (pp. 45-70).
Sleat M (2013) The realist challenge to liberal theory, LIBERAL REALISM: A REALIST THEORY OF LIBERAL POLITICS (pp. 71-88).
Sleat M (2013) The partisan foundations of liberal realism, LIBERAL REALISM: A REALIST THEORY OF LIBERAL POLITICS (pp. 132-151).
Sleat M (2013) The moderate hegemony of liberal realism, LIBERAL REALISM: A REALIST THEORY OF LIBERAL POLITICS (pp. 152-175).
Sleat M (2013) The liberal vision of the political Consensus, freedom, and legitimacy, LIBERAL REALISM: A REALIST THEORY OF LIBERAL POLITICS (pp. 21-44).
Sleat M (2013) Liberal alternatives The liberalism of fear and modus vivendi, LIBERAL REALISM: A REALIST THEORY OF LIBERAL POLITICS (pp. 89-111).
Sleat M (2013) Bernard Williams and the structure of liberal realism, LIBERAL REALISM: A REALIST THEORY OF LIBERAL POLITICS (pp. 112-131).

Book reviews

Sleat M (2022) Liberalism in Dark Times: The Liberal Ethos in the Twentieth Century. By Joshua L. Cherniss. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2021. 328p. $35.00 cloth.. Perspectives on Politics, 20(2), 707-708.
Sleat M (2021) Hoping for an apocalypse? Political Realism in Apocalyptic Times by Alison McQueen. European Journal of Political Theory, 20(4), 804-811.
Sleat M (2017) Book Review: Peter J Steinberger, The Politics of Objectivity: An Essay on the Foundations of Political Conflict. Political Studies Review, 15(1), 94-94.
Sleat M (2014) A World Without Why - Raymond Geuss. Notre Dame Philosophical Review.
Sleat M (2009) The Legacy of John Rawls. POLIT STUD REV, 7(2), 243-243.
Sleat M (2007) 'Value, reality, and desire'. Philosophical Investigations, 30(1), 97-100.

Digital content

Sleat M Is Labour Turning Towards Post-Liberalism?.
Sleat M Freedom from Fear and the Spectre of Perfectionism.
Sleat M 'The Role of Politics'.
Sleat M 'Politics or Ethics: Assessing the R2P'.

Other

Stevenson H, Hindmoor A, Pattie C & Sleat M (2017) Editorial. Political Studies, 65(3), 533-534.
Rossi E, Sleat M & Jubb R (2016) A year in the life of the European Journal of Political Theory. European Journal of Political Theory, 15(4), 375-376.
Sleat M (2015) Insisting on the Primacy of Politics.
Sleat M & Rossi E (2014) Teaching and Learning Guide for Realism in Normative Political Theory.
Rossi E, Sleat M & Jubb R (2014) A message from the new editors. European Journal of Political Theory, 13(4), 385-387.

Preprints

Rossi E & Sleat M (2014) Realism in Normative Political Theory, SSRN Electronic Journal.

Research group: Political Theory

Grants: Leverhulme Research Fellowship – ‘Post-Liberalism: A Critique’ (Feb. 2023 – Sept. 2024)

British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship - 'The Ethics of Cyberwar' (Jan. 2015 – Dec. 2015)

Professional activities and memberships: Editor of European Journal of Political Theory (2013-17; 2026- )

Elected member of the Executive Committee of the Britain and Ireland Association for Political Thought (2023- )

Editor of Political Studies (2017-23)

PhD Supervision: Recent supervision:

Andrew Leary - Realism and Egalitarianism
Carlo Cordasco - Rethinking Spontaneous Order: Norms, Institutions and Legitimacy (completed 2019)
Janosch Prinz – Political Realism and Critical Theory (completed 2015)
I would be happy to supervise research in the following broad areas:

Realist political thought
Contemporary liberal theory
Challenges to liberalism