Forrest Deacon is a Part-Time Lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the University of Pittsburgh and a PhD Candidate in Politics at The New School for Social Research. His research examines the ways in which democratic theory and practice have become economized and de-politicized by prominent economic paradigms, namely liberal and neoliberal capitalism. To rethink democracy beyond its snares, Forrest draws inspiration from the radical democratic (Marxist, democratic socialist, populist, and council) and anti-colonial traditions to envision a democracy from below that provides regular people with genuine power.
Born and raised in rural Kentucky, Forrest received his BA in Philosophy and History from Western Kentucky University. He taught English and Philosophy with Teach for American in Memphis, TN before pursuing graduate study. He has previously taught at The New School and Villanova University. Beyond his academic responsibilities, Forrest enjoys trail running and hiking, watching TV with his partner and cat, and good coffee.
Courses Taught
- PS 1612: Marxism (Pitt)
- PS 1692: Democratic Theory - Analysis (Pitt)
- ACS 1000 and 1001: Utopia (Villanova)
- LPOL 3102: Is Democracy in Crisis? (The New School)
Education & Training
- PhD in Politics (ABD), The New School for Social Research (Expected Spring 2027)
- MA (2019) and MPhil (2023) in Politics, The New School for Social Research
Representative Publications
Deacon, F. (2026). “Global Finance.” In: Kassner, J.J., Chatterjee, D.K. (eds.) Encyclopedia of Global Justice. Springer: Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27828-0_10054-1
Deacon, F. & James Miller (2025). “The Dictatorship of the Tech Bros–Or, What is to Be Done?” Public Seminar. https://publicseminar.org/2025/02/the-dictatorship-of-the-tech-bros/
Research Interests
- Democratic Theory
- History of Political Thought
- Contemporary Continental Political Theory
- Anti-colonial and Revolutionary Thought
- Political Economy of Capitalism
- Political Ecology
