Allyn Fives is a Senior Lecturer in Politics working in the areas of moral and political philosophy, with particular interest in moral conflict, value pluralism, and political authority, along with the questions raised by the issues of freedom, toleration, and paternalism. His most recent book is The Dilemma of Authority (Manchester University Press 2026). His recent papers address the moral problem of freedom, as considered in the works of Elizabeth Anscombe and Joseph Raz. He was Chair of the University Research Ethics Committee from 2013 to 2017; Director of the MA in Politics and Sociology (2019 - 2025); and Chair of the Teaching and Learning Committee (School of Political Science and Sociology) 2021 - 2025. He received his PhD in political theory from the University of Edinburgh in 2002, his thesis focusing on hermeneutics, and supervised by Prof. Russell Keat and Prof. John Holmwood. Before that he received an MA in Political Behaviour from the University of Essex (1995) and a BA in History and Political Science and Sociology from the University of Galway (then UCG) (1994).

His research expertise is in Moral and Political Philosophy: He works on value pluralism, the reality of moral dilemmas, authority and the dilemmas to which it gives rise, the moral problem of freedom, topics such as toleration and paternalism, the legitimacy of parental power, the role of philosophy in public matters, research ethics, civic education, and the philosophical thought of Elizabeth Anscombe, Joseph Raz, Philippa Foot, Bernard Williams, Judith Shklar, Isaiah Berlin, John Rawls, and Alasdair MacIntyre.

Main Teaching Responsibilities

(1BA) SP1125 Introduction to Politics

(1BA) SP1120 / SP1121 Practicing Sociology and Politics

(2BA) SP2123 Modern Political Thought

(2BA) SPSK3101 / SPSK3102 Society and Politics

(3BA) SP3197 Thinking Politically: The Power of Ideas

(3BA) SP3144 Political Liberty

(MA) SP6158 Political Theory and Political Obligation

Previous Modules Taught

(MA) SP6135 SP6136 Research Workshops

(3BA) SP3111 Political Philosophy Childhood

(3BA) SP507 Theories of the Welfare State

(3BA) PI210 Moral and Political Philosophy

(Diploma in Philosophy) Applied Ethics

(Diploma in Philosophy) History of Political Philosophy