Tom W. Bell is a legal scholar and consultant with a diverse background spanning philosophy, law, and theology. His intellectual journey has taken him from a Methodist upbringing through phases of militant atheism and struggling agnosticism, culminating in what he terms “recreational theology.” He holds a BA in philosophy from the University of Kansas, an MA in philosophy from the University of Southern California, and a JD from the University of Chicago.
Bell currently serves on the faculty of the Chapter University, Bowie School of Law, where he teaches first-year common law courses and electives in high-tech and intellectual property law. His scholarly publications cover a wide range of topics, including copyright, international law, polycentric law, constitutional law, prediction markets, and the Third Amendment. He is also the author of Your Next Government: From the Nation-State to Stateless Nations (Cambridge University Press, 2017).
Through his consulting firm, Archimediate LLC, Bell advises companies developing special economic zones, focusing on the design, installation, and support of entire legal systems. His recent work explores the intersection of theology and simulation theory, presenting arguments for an “authored universe” that resonate with themes relevant to transhumanist and Mormon thought. Bell has presented his views at conferences such as the MTA conference to encourage dialogue regarding the idea of creation.
