ALEXANDRE LEFEBVRE

I’m Professor of Politics and Philosophy at The University of Sydney, where I explore how political ideas shape our lives.

Originally from Vancouver, Canada, I earned my PhD at Johns Hopkins University (2007) and now call Sydney home.

For over a decade, I’ve explored one core idea: political theories and institutions profoundly shape rich, meaningful ways of life.

My latest book, Liberalism as a Way of Life (Princeton, 2024), argues that liberalism deeply informs not just our politics, but our values, humor, morality, and so much more. Named a Best Book of 2024 by The New Yorker, The Australian Book Review, Persuasion, and The Ministry of Pop Culture, it’s been praised as “stirring and clarifying” by David Brooks in The New York Times and “daring and engrossing” by Becca Rothfeld in The Washington Post.

My current project, Soulcrafters, investigates how populist and authoritarian regimes—from China and Russia to India and MAGA America—actively shape their citizens’ views of the good life. You can read an introductory article here.