Matthew Whiteley
Postgraduate researcher
Biography
Biography
I completed my undergraduate in philosophy over twenty years ago. I've since been working in International Trade &
Investment (economic development) initially as a commercial diplomat for British Government in the US, and then as a
private contractor for various country and regional governments, whilst based in California. I specialized in foreign direct
investment promotion in the tech sector; this broadly translated into technology, financial services, life sciences, and
advanced engineering sectors. I also consulted in international trade, advising businesses how to develop markets in the US
(mostly UK companies entering the US market). My ongoing interest in philosophical approaches to social theory has led me
into research of some of the theory, or at least tacit theory, behind modern economic development.
Research
Research
My current research might be broadly characterised as an exploration into theories of justice that sit behind realistically
utopian visions for modern economic theory. I am looking into Kantian inspired theory in the work of John Rawls, Philip
Pettit, and Alan Thomas, and I am looking at the Hegelian inspired theory of Axel Honneth. My plan is to argue why Axel
Honneth ought to be considering how to align his own thinking alongside the work of Alan Thomas, specifically by thinking
about how freedom and justice can be realized in a property-owning democracy.