University College Cork

1. Home
2. Philosophy
3. People
4. Vittorio Bufacchi

‍

Biography

I was born in Italy, but grew up in Canada and the UK, before moving to the US and finally Ireland. I have been in Ireland since 1999. I did my PhD at the London School of Economics, under the supervision of Professor Brian Barry. My thesis was on contemporary theories of justice. I have taught in the UK (Manchester), US (Yale; Colorado, Boulder; Dartmouth), and Ireland (University College Dublin and University College Cork). I have published seven books so far, in political philosophy (violence; social injustice; covid-19), the EU, and Italian politics. My work has been translated in Chinese, Spanish, Polish, Slovenian and Italian.‍

Research Interests

My main research interests are in contemporary political philosophy, especially theories of social justice; human rights; political violence; and the idea of injustice. I've also published in the methodology of applied philosophy; rational choice theory; democratic theory; socialism; Jane Austen; and Italian politics. While the nature of my work is strictly philosophical, I believe philosophy should be applicable and relevant to non-philosophers. In my work I have tried to bridge the gap between moral and political philosophy and other disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. I have also tried to make my work accessible to non-specialists by publishing opinion pieces in The Guardian, The Irish Times, Irish Examiner, and RTE Brainstorm. 
My most recent book is Social Injustice: Essays in Political Philosophy (Palgrave 2013). It will be translated in Chinese in 2019. I am currently writing on social injustice, human rights, and the political theory of Cicero. 

Research Grants

	Project	Funding Body	Start Date	End Date	Award
	CACSSS Research Achievement Award 2008 - Vittorio Bufacchi	Miscellaneous	01-JUL-08	31-DEC-16	€10,000.00

‍

Publications

‍

Books

	Year	Publication
	(2012)	Social Injustice: Essays in Political Philosophy translation Chinese chapter 13, Contemporary Foreign Trends, 2015, Issue 1. V.Bufacchi (2012) Social Injustice: Essays in Political Philosophy translation Chinese chapter 13, Contemporary Foreign Trends, 2015, Issue 1. UK & USA: Palgrave.   [Details]
	(2009)	Violence and Social Justice. V.Bufacchi (2009) Violence and Social Justice. UK & USA: Palgrave.   [Details]
	(2007)	Violence and Social Justice. V.Bufacchi; (2007) Violence and Social Justice. Basingstoke: Palgrave.   [Details]
	(2002)	L'Italia Contesa: Dieci Anni di Lotta Politica da Mani Pulite a Berlusconi. Bufacchi, V. Burgess, S. ; (2002) L'Italia Contesa: Dieci Anni di Lotta Politica da Mani Pulite a Berlusconi. : Carocci. [Details]
	(2001)	Italy Since 1989: Events and Interpretations, 2nd Edition. Bufacchi, V. Burgess, S.; (2001) Italy Since 1989: Events and Interpretations, 2nd Edition. : Palgrave. [Details]
	(1998)	Italy Since 1989: Events and Interpretations. Bufacchi, V. Burgess, S.; (1998) Italy Since 1989: Events and Interpretations. : Macmillan. [Details]

‍

Edited Books

	Year	Publication
	(2011)	Rethinking Violence Bufacchi, V (Ed.). (2011) Rethinking Violence Rethinking Violence. London: Routledge. [Details]
	(2009)	Violence: A Philosophical Anthology V.Bufacchi (Ed.). (2009) Violence: A Philosophical Anthology Violence: A Philosophical Anthology. Basingstoke: Palgrave.   [Details]
	(1995)	Democracy and Constitutional Culture in the Union of Europe Bufacchi, V. Castiglione, D. Bellamy, R (Ed.). (1995) Democracy and Constitutional Culture in the Union of Europe Democracy and Constitutional Culture in the Union of Europe. London: Lothian. [Details]

‍

Peer Reviewed Journals

	Year	Publication
	(2018)	'Theoretical Foundations for Human Rights' V.Bufacchi (2018) 'Theoretical Foundations for Human Rights'. Political Studies,   [DOI] [Full Text] [Details]
	(2017)	'Colonialism, Injustice, and Arbitrariness' V. Bufacchi (2017) 'Colonialism, Injustice, and Arbitrariness'. Journal of Social Philosophy, 48 (2):197-211   [Full Text] [Details]
	(2017)	'Democratic Justice and Contractarian Injustice' V.Bufacchi (2017) 'Democratic Justice and Contractarian Injustice'. Critical Review of International Social and Political P, 20 (2):222-230 [DOI] [Details]
	(2016)	'Territory, Rights, and Historical Injustice' V.Bufacchi (2016) 'Territory, Rights, and Historical Injustice'. Philosophy and Public Issues, 6 (2) [DOI] [Full Text] [Details]
	(2016)	'The Ripples of Violence' Jools Gilson & Vittorio Bufacchi (2016) 'The Ripples of Violence'. Feminist Review, (112):27-40 [Details]
	(2013)	'Knowing Violence: Testimony, Trust and Truth' V. Bufacchi (2013) 'Knowing Violence: Testimony, Trust and Truth'. Revue Internationale de Philosophie, 67 (3) [Details]
	(2004)	'Why is violence bad?' Bufacchi, V; (2004) 'Why is violence bad?'. American Philosophical Quarterly, 41 :169-180 [Details]
	(2002)	'The Injustice of Exploitation' Bufacchi, V.; (2002) 'The Injustice of Exploitation'. Critical Review of International Social and Political P, 5 (1):1-15 [Details]
	(2012)	'Ethical Decision Making and Decision Support Systems in Public Procurement - A Theoretical Discussion' Adam, F.; Csáki, C.; Prier, E.; Bufacchi, V. (2012) 'Ethical Decision Making and Decision Support Systems in Public Procurement - A Theoretical Discussion'. Supply Chain Forum: an International Journal, 13 (3)   [Details]
	(2009)	'Rethinking Violence' Bufacchi, V.; (2009) 'Rethinking Violence'. Global Crime, 10 (4) [Details]
	(2009)	'Not Making Exceptions: A Response to Henry Shue' Bufacchi, V.; (2009) 'Not Making Exceptions: A Response to Henry Shue'. Journal of Applied Philosophy, 26 (3) [Details]
	(2008)	'Why Political Philosophy Matters' Bufacchi, V.; (2008) 'Why Political Philosophy Matters'. European Journal of Political Theory, 7 (2) [Details]
	(2008)	'The Truth About Rights' Bufacchi, V.; (2008) 'The Truth About Rights'. The Journal of Human Rights, 7 (4) [Details]
	(2006)	'Torture, Terrorism and the State: A Refutation of the Ticking-Bomb Argument' Bufacchi, V. Arrigo, J.M.; (2006) 'Torture, Terrorism and the State: A Refutation of the Ticking-Bomb Argument'. Journal of Applied Philosophy, 23 (3):339-357 [Details]
	(2005)	'Two Concepts of Violence translation Spanish 'Dos Conceptos de Violencia', in Estudio Para la Non Violencia, Mexico: 3Norte' Bufacchi, V.; (2005) 'Two Concepts of Violence translation Spanish 'Dos Conceptos de Violencia', in Estudio Para la Non Violencia, Mexico: 3Norte'. Political Studies Review, 3 (2):193-204 [Details]
	(2005)	'Motivating Justice' Bufacchi, V.; (2005) 'Motivating Justice'. Contemporary Political Theory, 4 (1):25-41 [Details]
	(2004)	'Empirical Philosophy: Theory and Practice' Bufacchi, V.; (2004) 'Empirical Philosophy: Theory and Practice'. International Journal of Applied Philosophy, 18 (1):39-52 [Details]
	(2004)	'Why Is Violence Bad?' Bufacchi, V.; (2004) 'Why Is Violence Bad?'. American Philosophical Quarterly, 41 (2):169-180 [Details]
	(2003)	'Political Scepticism: A Reply to the Critics' Bufacchi, V.; (2003) 'Political Scepticism: A Reply to the Critics'. Politics, 23 (2):137-140 [Details]
	(2002)	'The Injustice of Exploitation' Bufacchi, V.; (2002) 'The Injustice of Exploitation'. Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, 5 (1) [Details]
	(2001)	'Sceptical Democracy' Bufacchi, V.; (2001) 'Sceptical Democracy'. Politics, 21 (1):23-30 [Details]
	(2001)	'Voting, Rationality and Reputation' Bufacchi, V.; (2001) 'Voting, Rationality and Reputation'. Political Studies, 49 (4):714-729 [Details]
	(2001)	'Execution as Torture' Bufacchi, V and Fairrie, L; (2001) 'Execution as Torture'. Peace Review, 13 (4) [Details]
	(1998)	'Reasonable Agreement: A Defence' Bufacchi, V.; (1998) 'Reasonable Agreement: A Defence'. A Journal of Analytical Socialism, 2 (3):223-240 [Details]
	(1996)	'The Coming of Age of Italian Democracy' Bufacchi, V.; (1996) 'The Coming of Age of Italian Democracy'. Government and Opposition, 31 (3):322-346 [Details]
	(1995)	'Social Justice in Europe: An Evaluation of European Regional Policy' Bufacchi, V. Garmise, S.; (1995) 'Social Justice in Europe: An Evaluation of European Regional Policy'. Government and Opposition, 30 (2):179-197 [Details]

‍

Book Chapters

	Year	Publication
	(2017)	'Love in the Time of Epistemic Injustice' V.Bufacchi (2017) 'Love in the Time of Epistemic Injustice' In: Jane Austen and Philosophy. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield. [Details]
	(2015)	'The Global Luxuries tax' V.Bufacchi and T.Mawe (2015) 'The Global Luxuries tax' In: Gottfried Schweiger (eds). Philosophical Explorations of Justice and Taxation: National and Global. Berlin: Springer. [Full Text] [Details]
	(1995)	'Justice' Bufacchi, V.; (1995) 'Justice' In: The Encyclopaedia of Democracy (4 Vols). [Details]
	(2007)	'Torture, Terrorism and the State: A Refutation of the Ticking-Bomb Argument' Bufacchi, V; (2007) 'Torture, Terrorism and the State: A Refutation of the Ticking-Bomb Argument' In: War, Torture and Terrorism. Oxford: Blackwell. [Details]
	(2006)	'Violence by Omission' Bufacchi, V.; (2006) 'Violence by Omission' In: Violence, Victims, Justifications. [Details]
	(2006)	'The Death Penalty is Cruel and Unusual Punishment' Bufacchi, V. Fairrie, L.; (2006) 'The Death Penalty is Cruel and Unusual Punishment' In: The Death Penalty. [Details]
	(2003)	'Justice, Equality, Liberty' Bufacchi, V.; (2003) 'Justice, Equality, Liberty' In: Understanding Democratic Politics: An Introduction. [Details]
	(2000)	'The Enlightenment, Contractualism, and the Moral Polity' Bufacchi, V.; (2000) 'The Enlightenment, Contractualism, and the Moral Polity' In: The Enlightenment and Modernity. [Details]
	(1996)	'The Success of 'Mani Pulite': Luck or Skill?' Bufacchi, V.; (1996) 'The Success of 'Mani Pulite': Luck or Skill?' In: Italy: Politics and Policy. [Details]

‍

Other Journals

	Year	Publication
	(2017)	'Hens, Ducks, and Human Rights in China' V.Bufacchi and Ouyang, Xiao (2017) 'Hens, Ducks, and Human Rights in China' Philosophy Now, (118) . [Details]
	(2001)	'Deliberative Democracy among the Communities of Population in Resistance' Bufacchi, V; (2001) 'Deliberative Democracy among the Communities of Population in Resistance' Report on Guatemala, 22 (3) . [Details]

‍

Editorship

	Year	Publication
	(2015)	Palgrave Philosophy Today book series. V. Bufacchi (2015) Palgrave Philosophy Today book series. London: Editorship [Details]

‍

Encyclopedia Entries

	Year	Publication
	(2013)	Torture. V. Bufacchi (2013) Torture. International Encyclopedia of Ethics:Blackwell. Encyclopedia Entries. [Details]
	(2013)	Violence. V.Bufacchi (2013) Violence. London:International Encyclopedia of Ethics. Encyclopedia Entries. [Details]
	(2003)	Thoreau, Henry David. Bufacchi, V.; (2003) Thoreau, Henry David. . Encyclopedia Entries. [Details]
	(2003)	Violence. Bufacchi,V.; (2003) Violence. . Encyclopedia Entries. [Details]
	(2003)	Civil Disobedience. Bufacchi, V. Rai, S.; (2003) Civil Disobedience. . Encyclopedia Entries. [Details]

‍

Invited Lectures

	Year	Publication
	(2015)	Three Lectures on Violence. V.Bufacchi (2015) Three Lectures on Violence. Rome: Invited Lectures [Details]

‍

Journal Volume Edited

	Year	Publication
	(2013)	Philosophy and Violence - Revue Internationale de Philosophie, Vol.67, No.3. V. Bufacchi (2013) Philosophy and Violence - Revue Internationale de Philosophie, Vol.67, No.3. Journal Volume Edited [Details]
	(2009)	Global Crime, Vol.10, Issue 4. V.Bufacchi (2009) Global Crime, Vol.10, Issue 4. London: Journal Volume Edited [Details]

‍

Newspaper Articles

	Year	Publication
	(2017)	From ancient Rome to Washington, DC: Lessons for Donald Trump. V.Bufacchi (2017) From ancient Rome to Washington, DC: Lessons for Donald Trump. Newspaper Articles [DOI] [Details]
	(2017)	Pay caps are neither economically crazy nor morally wrong. V.Bufacchi (2017) Pay caps are neither economically crazy nor morally wrong. The Irish Times: Newspaper Articles [Details]
	(2013)	Berlusconi will be fondly remembered only for his antics and playacting. V. Bufacchi (2013) Berlusconi will be fondly remembered only for his antics and playacting. Dublin: Newspaper Articles [Details]
	(2013)	Immigration into EU is a matter of human concern not just economics. V. Bufacchi (2013) Immigration into EU is a matter of human concern not just economics. Dublin: Newspaper Articles [Details]
	(2012)	Fourth 'R' should have place in schools. V. Bufacchi (2012) Fourth 'R' should have place in schools. Dublin: Newspaper Articles [Details]
	(2012)	Dame Street eviction gives Occupy chance to stay relevant. V. Bufacchi (2012) Dame Street eviction gives Occupy chance to stay relevant. Dublin: Newspaper Articles [Details]
	(2011)	Occupy movement's peaceful assault is proper but worse injustices also demand action. V.Bufacchi (2011) Occupy movement's peaceful assault is proper but worse injustices also demand action. The Irish Times: Newspaper Articles   [Details]
	(2009)	The Crime of Inaction. Bufacchi, V.; (2009) The Crime of Inaction. The Guardian: Newspaper Articles [Details]

‍

Translations

	Year	Publication
	(2015)	Chinese Translation, Journal of Foreign Theoretical Trends, 'Socialism in the 21st Century'. V. Bufacchi (2015) Chinese Translation, Journal of Foreign Theoretical Trends, 'Socialism in the 21st Century'. China: Translations [Details]
	(2015)	Spanish translation, Estudio Para La No Violencia, Dos Conceptos de Violencia. V.Bufacchi (2015) Spanish translation, Estudio Para La No Violencia, Dos Conceptos de Violencia. Mexico: Translations [Details]

‍

Professional Activities

‍

Honours and Awards

	Year	Title	Awarding Body
	2005	Arts Faculty Research Award
	1999	Arts Faculty Research Fund Award
	2000	Arts Faculty Research Fund Award
	2001	Arts Faculty Publication Award
	2001	NUI Publication Award
	2001	Arts Faculty Research Award
	2004	IRCHSS Research Fellowship

‍

Professional Associations

	Association	Function	From / To
	Irish Philosophical Association	member	01-SEP-06 / 01-SEP-07
	Aristotelian Society	Member	01-JUN-04 / 01-JUN-07

‍

Conference Contributions

	Year	Publication
	(2014)	Societa' Italiana Filosofia Analitica, V.Bufacchi (2014) A Deflationary theory of Human Rights. [Oral Presentation], Societa' Italiana Filosofia Analitica, L'Aquila, Italy , 03-SEP-14 - 05-SEP-14. [Details]
	(2014)	Understanding Epistemic Injustice, V.Bufacchi (2014) Epistemic Injustice, Social Injustice and How to Rectify Historical Injustice. [Oral Presentation], Understanding Epistemic Injustice, Bristol, UK , 26-JUN-14 - 27-JUN-14. [Details]
	(2014)	Our Bodies, Whose Property?, Vittorio Bufacchi and Órla O’Donovan (2014) 2 day conference on the body and propert rights. [Conference Organising Committee Chairperson], Our Bodies, Whose Property?, University College Cork , 15-MAY-14 - 16-MAY-14. [Details]
	(2014)	Social Justice and Social Injustice, Vittorio Bufacchi (2014) President Higgins Ethics Initiative. [Conference Organising Committee Chairperson], Social Justice and Social Injustice, University College Cork , 07-APR-14 - 07-APR-14. [Details]
	(2014)	Aspects of Freedom, Vittorio Bufacchi (2014) Irish Philosophical Society Annual Conference. [Conference Organising Committee Chairperson], Aspects of Freedom, UniversityCollege Cork , 07-MAR-14 - 07-MAR-14. [Details]
	(2012)	Global Justice and the Ethics of Exclusion, V. Bufacchi (2012) Global Social Injustice: An Analysis of Exclusion. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Global Justice and the Ethics of Exclusion, Boston, Northeastern University , 28-SEP-12 - 30-SEP-12. [Details]
	(2012)	Injustice Naturalized, V. Bufacchi (2012) Society for Applied Philosophy Annual Conference. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Injustice Naturalized, Oxford, UK , 02-JUL-12 - 04-JUL-12. [Details]
	(2006)	Social Justice in Practice, Bufacchi, Vittorio; (2006) Social Justice in Practice: Marx plus Hobbes. [Oral Presentation], Social Justice in Practice, Dublin , 28-JUN-06 - 01-JUL-06. [Details]
	(2004)	Aristotelian Society Joint Session, Bufacchi, Vittorio; (2004) Acts, Omissions and Responsibility: A Critique of Honderich's After the Terror. [Oral Presentation], Aristotelian Society Joint Session, University of Kent, UK , 09-JUL-04 - 11-JUL-04. [Details]
	(2004)	Public Lecture, Bufacchi, Vittorio; (2004) Two Concepts of Violence. [Invited Oral Presentation], Public Lecture, University of Colorado at Boulder, USA , 10-SEP-04 - 10-SEP-04. [Details]
	(2003)	Political Studies Association of Ireland, Bufacchi, Vittorio; (2003) Why is Violence Bad?. [Oral Presentation], Political Studies Association of Ireland, Dublin , 17-OCT-03 - 19-OCT-03. [Details]
	(2003)	Public Lecture, Bufacchi, Vittorio; (2003) A Theory of Violence. [Invited Oral Presentation], Public Lecture, University of Manchester, UK , 26-NOV-03 - 26-NOV-03. [Details]
	(2003)	Public Lecture, Bufacchi, Vittorio; (2003) Violence, Volition and Victims. [Invited Oral Presentation], Public Lecture, NUI Galway , 06-MAR-03 - 06-MAR-03. [Details]
	(2003)	Public Lecture, Bufacchi, Vittorio; (2003) Four Faces of Violence. [Invited Oral Presentation], Public Lecture, University College Dublin , 31-JAN-03 - 31-JAN-03. [Details]
	(2002)	Public Lecture, Bufacchi, Vittorio; (2002) The Four Faces of Violence. [Invited Oral Presentation], Public Lecture, London School of Economics, UK , 22-OCT-02 - 22-OCT-02. [Details]
	(2001)	Public Lecture, Bufacchi, Vittorio; (2001) Motivating Justice. [Invited Oral Presentation], Public Lecture, University of Colorado at Boulder, USA , 10-APR-01 - 10-APR-01. [Details]
	(1998)	American Political Science Association Annual Conference, Bufacchi, Vittorio; (1998) Motivating Justice. [Oral Presentation], American Political Science Association Annual Conference, Boston, MA, USA , 01-SEP-98 - 04-SEP-98. [Details]
	(1998)	New York State Political Science Association Annual Conference, Bufacchi, Vittorio; (1998) Motivating Justice. [Oral Presentation], New York State Political Science Association Annual Conference, Albany, New York, USA , 20-MAY-98 - 22-MAY-98. [Details]

‍

Committees

	Committee	Function	From / To
	Political Theory Network (Ireland)	National Co-ordinator	2006 / 2007

‍

Employment

	Employer	Position	From / To
	Dartmouth College, USA	Visiting Professor	01-MAR-05 / 15-JUN-05
	University of Colorado, Boulder, USA	Visiting Professor	15-AUG-04 / 15-DEC-04
	University College Dublin	Lecturer	01-SEP-98 / 01-SEP-99
	Yale University	Visiting Professor	01-SEP-97 / 01-SEP-98
	University of Manchester	Lecturer	01-SEP-94 / 01-SEP-97

‍

Education

	Year	Institution	Qualification	Subject
	1994	London School of Economics	Ph.D.
	1989	London School of Economics	Master of Science
	1988	University of Sussex	Bachelor of Arts

‍

Languages

	Language	Reading	Writing	Speaking
	Italian	Fluent	Fluent	Fluent
	Spanish	Functional	Basic	Functional
	French	Functional	Basic	Basic

‍

Consultancy

	Client	Description
	Oxford University Press	Reviewer of Book Manuscript
	Rowman and Littlefield	Reviewer of Book Manuscript
	Blackwell	Reviewer of Book Manuscript
	Palgrave	Reviewer of book manuscript
	Columbia University Press	Book manuscript reviewer
	Routledge	Book manuscript reviewer

‍

Journal Activities

	Journal	Role	To / From
	Ethics And International Affairs	Referee	-
	Journal Of Applied Philosophy	Referee	-
	Critical Review Of International Social And Political Philosophy	Referee	-
	American Political Science Review	Referee	-
	Ethical Theory And Moral Practice	Referee	-
	Journal Of Southern Europe And The Balkans	Referee	-
	Journal Of Theoretical Politics	Referee	-
	Political Studies	Referee	-
	British Journal Of Political Science	Referee	-
	Journal Of Moral Philosophy	Referee	-

‍

Other Activities

Description

General Editor, Palgrave Philosophy Today book series. KNOWLEDGE, 2009, Duncan Pritchard (Edinburgh) FREE WILL: AN INTRODUCTION, 2014, Helen Beebee (Manchester) PHENOMENOLOGY, 2013, Shaun Gallagher (Florida State) GLOBAL POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY, 2013, Mathias Risse (Harvard) MIND AND MACHINES, 2013, Joel Walmsley (University College Cork) PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION, 2014, Chad Meister (Bethel College) PHILOSOPHY OF ECONOMICS, 2014, Don Ross (Alabama) PHILOSOPHY OF ACTION, 2014, Lilian O'Brien (University College Cork)

‍

Teaching Activities

‍

Teaching Interests

Theories of social justice; human rights; political violence; Hobbes; applied philosophy