Morehead State University

Faculty Member, Institute for Regional Analysis and Public Policy

Other Affiliations: University of Alberta, Political Science
Claremont Graduate University, Politics & Policy

Assistant Professor of Government

School of Public Affairs

Thesis Title: Nietzsche in a Nutshell: An Interpretation of "Twilight of the Idols"

About

Murray S. Y. Bessette is an assistant professor of government specializing in homeland security and political theory. At Claremont Graduate University, Dr. Bessette majored in American government and political philosophy. He completed his doctoral dissertation, “Nietzsche in a Nutshell: an Interpretation of Twilight of the Idols,” under the supervision of Mark Blitz.

At Morehead State, Dr. Bessette teaches the graduate homeland security seminar in Morehead State’s liberal arts-based Master of Public Administration program, which examines national security policy with special emphasis upon the ideological character of the current threat of Salafi-Jihadism, using diplomatic history, works of political thought, and scholarship analyzing the structure and operations of such organizations as Al Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood. He also serves as coordinator of the undergraduate program in Government wherein he teaches introductory and advanced courses in political philosophy.

His current research interests are directed toward modern political thought (from Machiavelli to Kojève), the nature of authority, the questions surrounding modern science and technology, the complexities of creating public policy for foreign and domestic security, and the character of the contemporary threat of terrorism. He recently completed an English translation of Kojève's "La notion de l'autorité" ("The Notion of Authority"), which is now being revised for submission.

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