Lea Ypi

Lea Ypi (born 1979) is an Albanian political theorist, philosopher, and author. She is Professor in Political Theory at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Ypi's research focuses on normative political theory, encompassing topics such as liberalism, justice, migration, global justice, Marxism, and the history of political thought, particularly Enlightenment political thought. She is known for her work on the theory and practice of emancipation, critical theory, and the application of philosophical concepts to real-world political problems.

She received her PhD from the European University Institute in Florence and has held visiting positions at institutions including Sciences Po (Paris), the Goethe University (Frankfurt), and the Australian National University (Canberra).

Ypi is the author of several books, including "Global Justice and Avant-Garde Political Agency" (2008), "The Meaning of Partisanship" (2015), and "Free: Coming of Age at the End of History" (2021), a memoir detailing her childhood in Albania during the transition from communism to capitalism. "Free" has received widespread critical acclaim and has been translated into numerous languages.

In addition to her academic work, Ypi is a frequent contributor to public debates on political and social issues, writing for publications such as The Guardian, The New York Review of Books, and The London Review of Books.