Scott Yenor

Professor

Environmental Research Building 5149
syenor@boisestate.edu
(208) 426-4192

Biography

Scott Yenor is a Professor of Political Science at Boise State University, where he teaches political philosophy. He lives in Meridian, Idaho with his wife, Amy, and his five children. He earned his Ph.D. from Loyola University, Chicago (2000) and his B.A. from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (1993).

Research

Scott Yenor is the author of articles on David Hume and the Scottish Enlightenment, presidential power, literature and politics, and other topics and of Family Politics: The Idea of Marriage in Modern Political Thought (Baylor 2011). He is currently working on several projects, including a book on the principles of family regime for the late modern world, David Hume’s humanity, and an analysis of American Reconstruction.

Publications

Dr. Yenor published his book Family Politics: The Idea of Marriage in Modern Political Thought in 2011. Family Politics explores the treatment of the family in the philosophies of leading political thinkers of the modern world.

More of Dr. Yenor’s publications can be found on ScholarWorks.

Podcasts

Interview with Dr. J from The Ruth Institute
In the interview, they discuss Dr. Yenor’s book Family Politics: The Idea of Marriage in Modern Political Thought.

Beyond the Blue: Marriage and the Limits of Modern Political Thought
In this podcast, Dr. Yenor discusses how family and marriage are viewed through the prism of political and cultural beliefs. Many modern thinkers see marriage and family life as defined by the principle of consent and are not averse to reforming the family as part of their larger efforts to reform society. Others feel that these modern principles tend to be imperial and to cloud our vision to the detriment of marriage and family life. Consent is not adequate to explain most of the reality of marriage and family life, and there are important limits (including the nature of love and the importance of the body) on our ability to reform this central human institution.

Reader’s Corner: Interview with Boise State’s President Bob Kustra
In this 2007 interview, Dr. Yenor discusses the state of civil education.