Associate Dean of Undergraduate Academic Planning and Student Success; Senior Lecturer of Writing Affiliation:NYU Abu Dhabi Education: BA History, University of Copenhagen; MA History, University of Copenhagen; MsEcon Political Theory, Cardiff University; PhD Political Theory, Cardiff University
Camilla Boisen is a Senior Lecturer of Writing at New York University Abu Dhabi. Previously, Camilla was a research fellow at the National History Museum, Frederiksborg Castle in Denmark. In South Africa, she held postdoctoral research fellowships in political theory at the University of Johannesburg and the University of the Witwatersrand. She has published articles in, among others, History of European Ideas, the Journal of International Political Theory, and Grotiana. She is co-editor of Distributive Justice Debates in Political and Social Thought: perspectives on Finding a Fair Share (Routledge, 2016). Camilla has taught courses in political theory and the history of political thought in the UK, Denmark, and South Africa. She serves on the editorial board for Theoria – A Journal of Social and Political Theory and Grotiana.
Camilla's main area of research is the intellectual history of empire and political theory in relation to the development of ideas of rights and trusteeship and their influence on contemporary problems such as postcolonial restitution. She is currently working on producing a research monograph that intends to link political theory and empire in the history of international relations and brings further understanding to how past ideas of legitimation are associated with interventionist policies today. In addition, she is finalizing a short monograph on the political theory of knowledge production that uses political theory to critique the institutions of power at work in the production of knowledge.
Courses Taught
What is evil? We use the term to describe human behavior, political regimes, natural disasters, and epidemic disorder. The idea of evil is as old as humanity, and various religious, legal, political, and social arrangements aim to circumvent it. But definitions vary over time and across cultures, suggesting that evil may be contextual rather than universal. If so, can we say that evil is a constitutive part of the human condition? This colloquium offers a multi-disciplinary investigation into evil's dimensions and its implications for peace, justice, and human understanding. It begins with the theological conundrum all major religions face: how to reconcile the evils of human suffering with the existence of a loving god. Additional topics include the concept of evil as a rationale for colonial and imperial projects; the Nazi use of gas chambers during WWII; and the Aversion Project in South Africa. Students will examine attempts to prevent evil, venturing into the realm of clinical psychology with the psychopathic serial killer and exploring Marx's indictment of capitalism's evils by considering alternatives to corporations' pursuit of profit at the expense of ordinary people.
Prerequisite: Must be an NYU-AD student and have not completed the Core: Colloquium requirement.
Previously taught: Spring 2019, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024
This course appears in...
Core Curriculum > Colloquia
Is genocide a useful category of analysis, or does it obscure as much as it reveals? Genocide is recognized as a crime under international law and codified in the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. It is hailed as the crime of crimes and all states, regardless of their ratification status, are legally bound to prevent and prosecute genocide. Yet genocide not only continues to proliferate in international society, it has also proven a politically useful term of legitimation evidence by its invocation to justify wars, in issues of state sovereignty and territoriality and in questions of reparations to post-colonial states. This class poses and tries to answer the following: How and why did armed conflict and violence against civilians occur? How are war and genocide related? How, if at all, does localized violence relate to broader processes like state decomposition, formation, and consolidation? Or is racial hatred really the main factor? How were the categories of civilians, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide constructed in the history of the law of armed conflict ("international humanitarian law")? How did contemporaries define and categorize violence excess?
Previously taught: Fall 2024
Spring 2025;
14 Weeks Camilla Boisen
-
MW 09:55 - 11:10
Taught in Abu Dhabi
This course appears in...
Core Curriculum > Structures of Thought and Society
Majors > History > Global Thematic Courses
Majors > Legal Studies
Majors > Political Science > Breadth Electives
Majors > Political Science > International Politics
Minors > Peace Studies
Can humanitarian intervention ever be morally justified? Humanitarian intervention is one of the most controversial concepts of international politics, and the list of arguments for and against using military force to address extreme human suffering, such as genocide and ethnic cleansing, is long. It seems that no single argument - legal, political, or ethical - adequately captures the principal views on the justice of the phenomenon and that perspectives on these questions are as diverse as the individuals and groups who either implement them or are the object of interventions. Thus, fundamental questions remain: Does our membership in a common humanity require us to engage in the act of killing to save others? Or is it an unacceptable onslaught on state sovereignty? This FYWS will pursue these questions through various writing exercises and assignments designed to help students explore and engage with different arguments about the ways we understand humanitarian intervention today.
Prerequisite: Must be a first-year Abu Dhabi student.
Previously taught: Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023