Magnus Hörnqvist

The Sociology of Punishment (undergraduate level), Current Criminological Theory (graduate level)

Given a conception of the actor as deeply implicated in power structures, recent research projects have traced specific aspects of agency; the conditions for critical transcendence (Critique and cognitive capacities: Towards an action-oriented model) and the regressive satisfaction of desire through punishment (The Pleasure of Punishment). A current project is located in the intersection of philosophy and social science and investigates the transformative potential of desire. The aim is to advance a critical theory of desire and its role in societal conflicts. So far one publication (Recognition of struggle: Transcending the oppressive dynamics of desire). A future monograph will discuss the three most influential philosophical traditions and make use of existing social research to understand the transformative potential of desire.