Nicholas Hugh Smith (born 1962) is an Australian philosopher and Honorary Professor of Philosophy at Macquarie University. He is known for his research in hermeneutics, political philosophy, and the thought of Charles Taylor.
Education and Career
Smith earned his BA from Newcastle University (UK), an MA from the University of York, and a PhD from the University of Glasgow (1992), where his doctoral thesis was titled "Modernity, crisis and critique: an examination of rival philosophical conceptions in the work of Jürgen Habermas and Charles Taylor" under the supervision of C.F.J. Martin. He has held academic positions at the University of Connecticut and Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.
Philosophical Work
Smith's work is situated within the Continental philosophical tradition, with a particular focus on hermeneutics and political philosophy. He is a leading interpreter of the Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor, having written extensively on Taylor's moral philosophy, conceptions of modernity, and hermeneutic approach.
His concept of "strong hermeneutics" — developed in his 1997 book of the same title — argues for a hermeneutic approach that acknowledges contingency while maintaining a robust account of moral identity, in contrast to "weak" or postmodern hermeneutic positions.
Smith has also contributed significantly to critical theory and the philosophy of work, including co-edited volumes on recognition theory and new philosophies of labour. His more recent work has extended into the philosophy of higher education and philosophy of popular culture.
Selected Books
- Strong Hermeneutics: Contingency and Moral Identity (Routledge, 1997)
- Charles Taylor: Meaning, Morals and Modernity (Polity, 2002)
- Critique Today (co-edited, Brill, 2006)
- New Philosophies of Labour: Work and the Social Bond (co-edited with Jean-Philippe Deranty, Brill, 2011)
- Recognition Theory as Social Research: Investigating the Dynamics of Social Conflict (co-edited with Shane O'Neill, Palgrave Macmillan, 2012)
- Perspectives on the Philosophy of Charles Taylor (co-edited with Arto Laitinen, Acta Philosophica Fennica, 2002)
- Reading McDowell: On Mind and World (Routledge, 2002)
