Dimitris Dimitrakos ( el, Δημήτρης Δημητράκος; born 1936) is a Greek

philosopher A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...

, currently Professor

Emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

of Political Philosophy in the Philosophy of Science Department of the University of Athens.

Biography

Dimitrakos originally studied economics at the London School of Economics), taking part in seminars given there by

Karl Popper Sir Karl Raimund Popper (28 July 1902 – 17 September 1994) was an Austrian-British philosopher, academic and social commentator. One of the 20th century's most influential philosophers of science, Popper is known for his rejection of the cl ...

, before obtaining a Ph.D. in Political Philosophy at the University of Paris with a thesis on

Antonio Gramsci Antonio Francesco Gramsci ( , , ; 22 January 1891 – 27 April 1937) was an Italian Marxist philosopher, journalist, linguist, writer, and politician. He wrote on philosophy, political theory, sociology, history, and linguistics. He was a ...

. Since then he has taught at the Universities of Paris,

Reims Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne. Founded by ...

, Thessaly and Athens and as a visiting professor at the LSE. Dimitrakos' work covers many areas of epistemology, political philosophy and social theory which include Karl Popper's philosophy of science and society, analytical aspects of Marxism, the role of rationalism and liberalism in social and

political theory Political philosophy or political theory is the philosophical study of government, addressing questions about the nature, scope, and legitimacy of public agents and institutions and the relationships between them. Its topics include politics, l ...

as well as individual rights and

democratic theory Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation ("direct democracy"), or to choose go ...

. He has also written extensively on civil society, nationalism and current political problems. His research interests focus on economic theory, liberalism and the epistemology of social sciences. In July 2002, he was a speaker at the

centenary conference held in Vienna. He is currently President of the "Open Society",Open Society association
/ref> an association for the promotion of principles of democracy, liberalism, the

rule of law The rule of law is the political philosophy that all citizens and institutions within a country, state, or community are accountable to the same laws, including lawmakers and leaders. The rule of law is defined in the ''Encyclopedia Britannica ...

, human rights and civil society in Greece.

Select bibliography

* "Science politique", ''Encyclopédie Weber'' (Paris, 1971). * ''Gramsci et le problème de la conquête du pouvoir'' (Paris, 1980). * ''A Vision of Liberty'' (Athens, 1997). * "Gramsci and the contemporary debate on Marxism", ''

Philosophy of Social Sciences The philosophy of social science is the study of the logic, methods, and foundations of social sciences ( psychology, cultural anthropology, sociology, etc...). Philosophers of social science are concerned with the differences and similarities ...

'', January 1992.

References

External links

Dimitris Dimitrakos' page at the Department of Philosophy and History of Science at the University of Athens
20th-century Greek philosophers 21st-century Greek philosophers 1936 births Alumni of the London School of Economics Philosophers of science Political philosophers University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne alumni University of Paris faculty National and Kapodistrian University of Athens faculty Living people People from Athens {{Greece-philosopher-stub