Rebecca Susan LeMoine

I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida. I joined the department in Fall 2014 after receiving my Ph.D. and M.A. in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and my B.A. in Politics from Washington and Lee University.

I specialize in Political Theory, particularly questions of cultural diversity and global justice in ancient Greek political thought. My work has been published in numerous academic journals including the American Political Science Review, History of Political Thought, Polis: The Journal for Ancient Greek and Roman Political Thought, and Political Theory. 

My book, Plato’s Caves: The Liberating Sting of Cultural Diversity (Oxford University Press, 2020) defends the bold thesis that Plato was a friend of cultural diversity, contrary to many contemporary perceptions. It shows that, across Plato’s dialogues, foreigners play a role similar to that of Socrates: liberating citizens from intellectual bondage. 

I am currently working on my second book project, tentatively titled Singing a Different Tune: Music and the Politics of Cultural Diversity in Ancient Greek Thought. In Fall 2025, I will be on research leave thanks to the support of a sabbatical award.

I was also the recipient of a prestigious, $60,000 award through the NEH Awards for Faculty Program. The award would have allowed me to take a full year sabbatical to complete my second book project. I received an official notice of action letter and payment schedule of the Congressionally-approved funds set to begin in June 2025. Unfortunately, like many other scholars, my award was suddenly terminated on the grounds that the agency is “repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of President Trump’s agenda.” The agency has denied me the opportunity to appeal the decision.

Though my research focuses on ancient political thought, I enjoy teaching a wide range of political theory courses, from ancient to modern to American political thought. Of the many courses I have created and added to the course catalogue at FAU, I am most proud of “The Politics of Music” and “Global Political Theory,” a general education course that introduces students to political theories from around the globe using the methods of comparative political theory. I currently serve as the Director of the Undergraduate Program in Political Science and Director of the Ethics, Law, and Society Certificate.